


The Silent Champion

by SilentGhostWriter2017



Category: Pocket Monsters | Pokemon - All Media Types
Genre: Alola-chihou | Alola Region (Pokemon), Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, BAMF Satoshi | Ash Ketchum, Canon Rewrite, Chosen One Satoshi | Ash Ketchum, Cilan's character gets balanced out, Cold-hearted Satoshi | Ash Ketchum, Dragon Trainer Satoshi | Ash Ketchum, Fangshipping, Galar-chihou | Galar Region (Pokemon), Iris' character gets proper development, Isshu-chihou | Unova Region (Pokemon), Kalos-chihou | Kalos Region (Pokemon), Kantou-chihou | Kanto Region (Pokemon), M/M, Mentor/Protégé, Mute Satoshi | Ash Ketchum, Orange Shotou | Orange Archipelago (Pokemon), Pokemon Journey, Polyamory, Shinou-chihou | Sinnoh Region (Pokemon), Sign Language, Slow Burn, Violent Satoshi | Ash Ketchum
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-23
Updated: 2021-01-10
Packaged: 2021-03-09 04:20:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 10
Words: 33,872
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27157850
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SilentGhostWriter2017/pseuds/SilentGhostWriter2017
Summary: The unexpected onset of puberty turns the happy, lively and excitable child that is Ash Ketchum into a silent loner. Deemed as a freak of nature by his peers and townspeople alike, Ash shuts himself off to the world, with only his mother and Professor Oak as his remaining pillars of support.Then, a chance viewing of Champion Lance’s exhibition match against rising star Steven Stone on television pulls Ash back to the light. Right then and there, he had a purpose, and a dream. To become a Dragon-type Master just like Lance, to be seen as a role-model and not some freak with an unnaturally-deep voice.It will be a journey that is fraught with obstacles big and small, especially since Ash had not spoken in years and has no intention of doing so anytime soon. But Ash has had enough of being at the bottom of the pecking order. He will rise to the top. He’ll show those who mocked and bullied him that he will become someone not to be messed with.He will become the greatest the world has ever seen. He will be known as the Silent Champion.
Relationships: Carnet | Diantha & Satoshi | Ash Ketchum, Dent | Cilan & Satoshi | Ash Ketchum, Gou | Goh & Satoshi | Ash Ketchum, Hanako | Delia Ketchum & Satoshi | Ash Ketchum, Iris & Satoshi | Ash Ketchum, Kapu-Kokeko | Tapu Koko & Satoshi | Ash Ketchum, Kenji | Tracey Sketchit & Satoshi | Ash Ketchum, Kibana | Raihan & Satoshi | Ash Ketchum, Kibana | Raihan/Satoshi | Ash Ketchum, Kukui-hakase | Professor Kukui & Satoshi | Ash Ketchum, Lugia & Satoshi | Ash Ketchum, Ookido Yukinari-hakase | Professor Samuel Oak & Satoshi | Ash Ketchum, Satoshi | Ash Ketchum & Shirona | Cynthia, Satoshi | Ash Ketchum & Wataru | Lance
Comments: 187
Kudos: 239
Collections: Anime FF





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

  * For [OasisLake76](https://archiveofourown.org/users/OasisLake76/gifts).
  * Inspired by [The Deathman's Dragons](https://archiveofourown.org/external_works/704327) by The Deathman's Overlord. 



> Disclaimer: I do not own Pokémon or any related content or characters. Everything belongs to the Pokémon Company, Satoshi Taijiri and Ken Sugimori.

Puberty is an unavoidable milestone in a person’s life. No one is exempt from the changes that take place to a human body, transitioning them from children to adults. The impact of these changes varies drastically. For some, it is hardly noticeable, but for others, the changes to their bodies can be so dramatic that is changes their lives forever.

Although, for the unlucky rare few, this can be more of a curse than a blessing.

* * *

Eight-year-old Ash Ketchum was just like any other ordinary child growing up in Pallet Town. He played, ran around, laughed and chattered with his peers at the local school. While he was friendly with his classmates, he wasn’t particularly close with them. He had one true friend: Gary Oak, the grandson of the famous Pokémon researcher and regional professor, Samuel Oak.

Now, Gary was the much more extroverted of the pair. Not that Ash wasn’t extroverted himself, but just to a lesser degree. Gary was also charismatic, and he had plenty of stories to tell Ash and the rest of the class about his grandfather’s exploits in research. The children hung on like limpets, and Gary quickly became the most popular kid at school.

Ash was more than content to let his best friend soak in the attention. While he didn’t mind social interaction, too much was tiring for the young black-haired child. When he felt that he had enough, Ash would retreat to his favourite pastime: reading.

No book was safe from Ash’s inquisitive mind, even those with bigger words that he couldn’t immediately comprehend. Ash craved knowledge, Pallet Town was big in the eyes of a young child like him, but as his mother told him many times, the world outside their small town was even bigger. And the creatures they shared their world with, known as Pokémon, had their stories to tell.

Ash, in particular, loved to read about Pokémon. It didn’t matter if it was fiction or non-fiction, Ash consumed book after book like a ravenous Arcanine on a large piece of meat. Sure, he got teased from Gary and his classmates for being a ‘bookworm’ and all, but there was never real bite or malice to it. Ash would smile, and then calmly remind Gary about the many blunders he went through when he was younger. This would lead to a playful fight between the two friends, and the rest of the class would forget about it and move on.

Until one particularly innocuous day in April, when Ash’s peers suddenly would not forget or move on.

* * *

Ash and his classmates were sitting through a lesson on type match-ups when it happened.

“Alright, class,” the teacher turned to the students, “who can tell me which type is super-effective against Fighting-types?”

Several hands shot up.

“How about you, Ash?”

“Flying-types!”

“Excellent!” the teacher beamed, “And do you know which type or types are super-effective against Flying-types?”

“I know! They are Ice-types, Electric-types, **and Rock-types.”**

…

Utter silence.

…

**“Mr. Nelson? What’s- ”**

Then Ash realised what had happened.

  
**“M-My voice! W-What happened to my voice?!”**

The rest of the class either continued to stare in shocked confusion, or began panicking.

“Why is Ash’s voice like that?!”

“So scary!”

“He sounds like those bad guys on TV!”

Poor Ash was on the verge of a breakdown. He didn’t know why his voice changed so suddenly. None of the books he read told him anything about voices changing, let alone how to do deal with it. And there was the confused shouts and voices from his classmates, closing in on him like walls. His knees buckled, and the young boy would have crumpled to the floor had it not been for his teacher’s quick reflexes in catching him.

“Everyone is to stay put while I take Ash to the infirmary!” the man ordered in a no-nonsense tone, “A substitute teacher will take over if I don’t return after fifteen minutes!”

* * *

**To Be Continued.**

* * *


	2. Change For The Worse

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ash's life is forever changed, and not for the better. It builds up inside of him, the insults and taunts, until it explodes. In the end, blood is spilt.

Let it known that very few parents would like to receive a call from the school about their child. In most cases, the reason for the call was not a good one. The child’s behaviour needed rectifying, their grades were consistently bad or slipping, they had gotten into a physical fight with another child, they were the victim of assault from a bully, or they had gotten injured or sick.

For Delia Ketchum, she received the last one.

Barely remembering to tell Mr. Mime to watch over the house and her cooking, Delia hightailed it to the local school as fast as she could. She ignored all the curious glances and concerned calls from her neighbours and other residents, skidding to a stop at the gates. Picking up once again, she dashed inside school building and made it to the infirmary in record time.

“Where’s my son?! What happened to him?!” the frazzled mother demanded.

**“Mum!”**

The first thing Delia registered was her son sitting on a bed, looking both scared and relieved. She did not immediately register the deep voice that responded to her desperate questions, until Ash spoke again.

**“Mum, please tell me what’s wrong with my voice? N-No one is telling me anything!”**

Delia was completely floored. Her brain struggled to connect that her son was now speaking in a deep tone. She quickly made her way to the bed, and pulled Ash close in a hug.

“Ash…what happened?”

**“I-I don’t know! My voice suddenly changed when I was answering Mr. Nelson’s question. I don’t know why my voice is suddenly like this, Mum!”**

Delia turned to the school nurse, who was watching the entire scene with a sullen expression, “Do you know anything?”

“I’m sorry, Mrs. Ketchum, but I too am clueless,” the nurse shook his head, “In all my years serving this school, I’ve never experienced a case where a young child’s voice suddenly changed out of nowhere. As it is, the school has called for a specialist from Viridian City to come down to have a look at young Ash. For now, all we can do is wait.”

What followed was a tense half-hour. Poor Ash was near tears, only held back from having a complete breakdown by his mother’s tight embrace and comforting words. The sound of the door opening got everyone’s attention. In stepped a middle-aged woman, dressed primly and with her hair cut short in a respectable bob, a look of no-nonsense gracing her expression.

“Dr. Millow, thank you for coming on such short notice,” the nurse said as he stood up.

“No thanks needed,” Dr. Millow nodded, turning to the Ketchums, “Is this Ash?”

“Yes,” Delia replied, “and I am his mother.”

“Pleasure to make your acquaintance, Mrs. Ketchum,” Millow shook hands with the brunette, “With your permission, I would like to conduct a series of tests to determine why your son’s voice changed so unexpectedly and drastically.”

“By all means, do.”

Delia made room for the specialist, who sat down on a chair provided by the nurse. She softened her expression just the slightest so as to not intimidate the unstable boy.

“Ash, I am going to help you find out why your voice changed, alright?”

Ash nodded.

Dr. Millow spent the next fifteen minutes conducting her tests. Occasionally, her eyebrows furrowed as she considered the results of her tests, before quietly confiding with the school nurse about her findings. Delia stood off to the side, anticipating with growing anxiety over what was to come from the specialist’s examination. Ash was not in much of a better position. He just wanted answers, hoping that whatever happened to his voice can be reversed, so that he can return to his normal life.

By the time the specialist was done, Ash was literally vibrating from worry.

“In all of my years…very rarely have I come to such a conclusion.”

“What’s wrong with my son, Dr. Millow?”

“Ash is physically fine and healthy, that I can reassure you, Mrs. Ketchum. However, based on my tests, what has happened to your son is the unprecedentedly-early onset of puberty.”

**“Pu…ber…ty?”**

“It is a completely normal process where a child’s body undergoes changes as they grow up into an adult, Ash,” Dr. Millow explained in simple terms, before returning to Delia, “While extremely rare, there have been documented cases where children begin to undergo puberty as early as the age of eight.”

“Do we know why such a young age?” asked Delia.

“Unfortunately, science has not been successful in determining why such a phenomenon occurs,” Dr. Millow shook her head, “However, we can rest assured that aside from the change in your son’s voice, he should continue to live a normal, healthy life.”

**“So…does that mean my voice won’t change back?”**

Dr. Millow softened her expression with a hint of sympathy, “I’m really sorry, Ash. When puberty takes place, it is irreversible. However, what is more important is that you are a healthy, growing boy. Tell me, what is your dream to become when you are older?”

**“A Pokémon Trainer!”** Ash replied instantly.

“And you will grow to become one just like everyone around the world. Your voice will not mean anything when you receive your starter Pokémon at age twelve,” the specialist offered a hint of a smile, which worked to calm Ash down significantly.

She ruffled the boy’s raven locks, before standing up, “Well, I guess that concludes my business here today.”

“Thank you so much for your expertise, Dr. Millow,” Delia bowed.

“No trouble needed. Have a good day, Mrs. Ketchum, Ash.”

Dr. Millow saw herself out of the infirmary. Delia then turned to Ash, “Come, let’s go home, I’ll make you your favourite chicken pot pie for lunch.”

The young boy brightened considerably, **“Okay, Mum!”**

* * *

If only things continued to remain simple and routine.

Pallet was a decently-sized town with a population of about five hundred residents. Pretty much everyone knew one another or were at least mutual friends/acquaintances. So when word of Ash’s unexpected voice change spread from the children, the entire town knew about it by the end of the week.

And when it comes to smallish towns, many people do not exactly have the most open or accepting mindsets.

While a few residents were curious and asked Delia questions politely, many more were affronted by what seemed like an attack on their perfect existence. The diner that Delia ran in the centre of town saw business drop significantly when it became common knowledge that Ash had an unnaturally-deep voice. Gossip and whispers began to spread, sometimes within earshot of Delia, of her son developing some kind of mutation that caused his voice tone to drop, and whether any more such “mutations” would manifest in the future.

Ash had a difficult time too. When he returned to school come the new Monday, the saying that kids can be among the cruellest people on the planet came into stark effect.

The very same children whom he would hang out with in the past now avoided him like the plague. They didn’t understand the true meaning of puberty, thinking it was some kind of contagious disease that they could catch if they stayed within close proximity to Ash. They would make all kinds of frightened noises (increasingly intentionally) whenever Ash spoke, and would make fun of him behind his back, often within earshot. It would have been much worse if the bullying actually became physical, but thankfully it never went to that extent.

Either way, Ash was increasingly at a loss. Suddenly, he didn’t have a single friend at school. Even Gary wasn’t speaking to him anymore (if only to join in on the bullying). He did try to complain to his teachers about it, but either they didn’t do anything, or any attempt at intervention fell miserably short.

For two months this continued on. Ash was a perceptive boy, he knew that all this happened because of his voice. So he simply stopped talking. He stopped raising his hand in class to answer the teacher’s questions, and he used finger gestures to pick out what he wanted to eat in the cafeteria. But still, the bullying did not stop, until one innocuous Thursday when everything came to a violent head.

* * *

With no friends and no one wanting anything to do with him, Ash turned to the only solace he had left – his books. No longer would he spend recess outside with the other children. He would hole himself up in the corner at the bookcase. Even though he had already read through many of the books multiple times already, Mr. Nelson occasionally brought in new books donated from the town’s residents or Professor Oak. Ash always looked forward to that. With no one to talk with, he craved the new knowledge that could fill the void within his soul.

Unfortunately, his little sanctuary was a perfect target for those who wished to sour his peace.

“The freak’s back at his books again.”

Even though the derogatory name didn’t come right away, the children started calling Ash that within two weeks of Dr. Millow’s diagnosis. It quickly became the insult of choice whenever Ash was in earshot.

“Does he have nothing better to do?”

‘And who’s fault is that?’ Ash thought bitterly as he turned a page.

He had hoped that the children would maintain their distance. But it quickly became apparent that his luck was atrocious today.

“Still reading, Ashy-boy?” came a mocking, drawling voice.

Ash furrowed his eyebrows. Of all the children in the school who picked on him, Gary was among the worst. With his natural charisma and need to maintain his position of top dog, Gary had begun leading the children in various verbal attacks against Ash following his diagnosis.

The brunette’s betrayal stung the most for Ash, even if he never showed it.

Gary got right up into Ash’s face, “Do you honestly think that reading is going to get you anywhere?”

Ash’s temper began to bubble, but he refused to give Gary any more ammunition to use against him.

“Why bother, Ashy-boy? It’s not like you’re going to amount to anything. Who would want a Pokémon trainer with such an unnatural voice? Any Pokémon will be scared by it!”

Ash’s knuckles gripped the book harder, slowly turning white.

“Face it, you’re just a freak of nature! No one will want you!”

The knot that was Ash’s temper began to fray.

And then came the final straw.

“Auntie Delia must be so ashamed to have someone like you!”

Everything seemed to slow down in an instant.

First, there was a loud cry akin to a dragon’s roar. Acting purely on instinctual rage, Ash lifted his book up, and slammed it against Gary’s head. Let it be known that the book was both heavy and thick, so the force of the impact not only cracked the brunette’s skull, but sent him flying into the edge of a desk, worsening the concussion so badly that Gary was knocked out from the collision. He crumpled to the floor in a lifeless heap, bleeding liberally from his temple.

There was a moment of silence. Followed by the screams.

Ash stood there, panting hard, as the witnesses fled the classroom in absolute terror. He let the book drop to the floor, the cover stained by a splatter of blood. As adrenaline pumped through his body, Ash stared at the unconscious form of his former childhood friend.

This was not the first time Ash had seen blood. But this was the first time he had seen so much of it, pooling around Gary’s head in a crimson puddle.

A small part of him wanted to throw up his lunch from the gruesome scene, but a bigger part of him felt a strange sort of…satisfaction, that he had fought back. For two months he quietly let the hurtful jabs and insults bounce off of him, but the underlying malicious intent built up inside him with no means of escaping.

It honestly felt liberating to see Gary on the floor, unable to continue his taunts. Even though his mother had constantly told him that violence was never the answer to solve disputes…he didn't care.

He didn’t regret attacking Gary. He didn’t regret that his bully was bleeding. Gary deserved it, he deserved much more, but Ash restrained himself. The brunette was unconscious, there was nothing else that needed to be done.

Ignoring the chaos that would arise from this provoked attack, Ash sat back down, picked up his book, and continued reading.

* * *

**To Be Continued.**

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So...
> 
> ...do I regret Ash knocking Gary out with a heavy book that could possibly lead to a serious concussion and a period of time spent comatose?
> 
> Absolutely fucking not.
> 
> If I want to be very honest, I never really liked Gary's character, especially in the original series. Yes, he was knocked down several pegs after Ash defeated him in the Indigo Conference and matured as the series went by, but if there was there are particular types of character that I absolutely loathe, they are the arrogant and derogatory ones. These kind of characters do not get any kind of sympathy from me, and if canon doesn't do anything, I will take things into my own hands.
> 
> Character-bashing aside, thank you all so much for your support and comments. They mean so much to me as a writer, and I promise to do my best with each chapter I upload.
> 
> And so this chapter ends with the usual protocol. Your honest feedback and kudos are greatly appreciated, while flaming of any sort will not be tolerated.
> 
> Cheers, everyone.
> 
> \- SilentGhostWriter2017


	3. Armistice

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The aftermath of Ash's assault on Gary pushes our protagonist into the silence of darkness. Then, the chance viewing of an exhibition match brings Ash back to the light.

The aftermath of the assault on Gary sped past like a blur.

Ash was discovered by Mr. Nelson and the school nurse not long after, still reading his blood-stained book, with Gary was bleeding nearby. The nurse rushed towards the unconscious child, trying to stop the flow of blood, while Ash was hauled off to the principal’s office. Delia and Professor Oak were called in shortly after.

When interrogated, Ash made no dispute about what he did to Gary. While both Mr. Nelson and his mother were shocked and outraged, Professor Oak remained deceptively calm. The revered researcher asked Ash only one question.

“Why did you attack Gary?”

Ash, in turn, replied once, **“He started it.”**

While it was typical response from a school-yard fight between two children, Professor Oak knew better than to jump to conclusions. He asked the principal for access to the closed-circuit security footage taken in the classroom at the time of the assault. His request was allowed, and everyone watched the footage on a small display screen.

Unlike most closed-circuit security footage, this clip had the audio recording on. Mr. Nelson and Delia paled when the children started harassing Ash, even more so when Gary got involved. The single line, _“Auntie Delia must be so ashamed to have someone like you!”_ was the final evidence needed to show that the assault was provoked.

When the clip stopped playing, displaying the bloody aftermath, Professor Oak was trembling slightly.

“Excuse me, Ms. Reynolds. I need to deal with my grandson.”

The revered researcher left the office without a further word. It was only when the door closed behind him did the remaining adults release their held breaths.

Ash remained stonily silent.

* * *

In the end, several things happened.

Gary Oak was hospitalised for two weeks, half of which was spent comatose. When he finally opened his eyes, he saw his grandfather standing at his bedside.

The brunette expected an outpouring of sympathy from his grandfather. He never expected the severest, harshest tongue-lashing he had ever experienced in his short life.

Gary tried to defend himself, which only made Professor Oak angrier. An almighty shouting match between the two Oaks raged for fifteen minutes, until a nurse intervened and politely asked the professor to leave, since the noise was disturbing the other patients and their guests. Professor Oak departed from the hospital even more ashamed of his grandson, while Gary was left seething, his hatred of Ash further cemented.

On the other hand, while Ash was clearly the victim, he did not get off scot-free either. While an assault on that magnitude usually warranted expulsion, the school board agreed to suspend Ash for two weeks in order to placate the many parents who were outraged and demanded retribution for what they perceived to be an unwarranted assault.

The Ketchums returned home that very day in silence. Ash didn’t want to talk to anyone, not even his mother. He only came down to dinner, and locked himself in his room for the rest of the night. He even ignored Mr. Mime’s attempts at comfort, preferring to sleep off the events and weep under the privacy of his blankets.

From there, things deteriorated further for Delia and her son. If her diner was experiencing a decline in business before, there was virtually no business now. No one wanted anything to do with the mother of an assaulter, no matter that Ash was still a child and was actually the victim. The gossip and bad-mouthing worsened, fanned by Gary’s crocodile tears of experiencing unbearable pain because of the assault. Not even Professor Oak’s intervention did anything to stop Gary, so he simply just gave up, leaving it to his granddaughter Daisy to try and raise the problem child.

It was also Professor Oak who decided that enough was enough. When he heard of the townspeople’s treatment of Delia and Ash, he publicly denounced the entire town of Pallet and declared that he would have nothing further to do with them. In a move that was equivalent to a harsh slap to the face, Professor Oak announced that Ash and Delia were under his protection, and that any further harassment would be reported to the police.

Oak made Delia his assistant, ensuring a stable income for the Ketchums, and upon his insistence, Delia withdrew Ash from the local school so that he could oversee the young boy’s education himself.

It was an upgrade that angered the townspeople and Gary. For two days, there were protests outside Professor Oak’s laboratory, until the researcher made true to his threat and called the police from Viridian City on the people. The protests were disbanded, and a security detail was recruited to keep unwanted hecklers away and to ensure the safety of Delia and Ash as they commuted from their house to the laboratory.

Gary made his disagreement obnoxiously clear when he found out. But Professor Oak remained steadfast, refusing to even listen to his grandson’s rantings. Gary would whine and complain for several days, until it became abundantly clear that his grandfather was not going to budge on the issue, though it could also partly be due to the older Oak raising his hand on the younger for the first time ever.

From there, a tense armistice descended upon Pallet Town. Delia and Ash were no longer harassed by the townspeople, but they were avoided like the plague. Children hid away from them, and the residents took to spying on them through their curtained windows. Delia still got service at the local grocery store and shops, but even then the interactions were silent and stilted. Ash and Gary now rarely crossed paths, and when they did, Gary would jump on the chance to get a rise out of Ash. The raven-haired boy would simply walk away and tell Professor Oak that his grandson was being a nuisance again.

Four long years would pass from that assault, and many things would change within that period.

* * *

Ever since he started his education under Professor Oak, Ash spoke to only two people, the revered researcher and his mother. For most of the day, the young boy would be silent. And when he did speak, they were usually one-liners, single-word responses, or grunts.

Contrary to what the townspeople thought, Ash never forgot the teasing, bullying, and his subsequent assault on Gary with the heavy book. The memories plagued his waking hours and sleep, never letting him have a moment of peace. Ash’s young, growing mind had come to associate these bad memories with speaking. All of this happened because his voice changed, that was abundantly clear to the child.

It was a gradual process. Ash spoke less with each passing day. Professor Oak and Delia were quick to notice, immediately asking him what was wrong. Ash simply replied with two words, **“Bad memories,”** before moving on. It also didn’t help that when Dr. Millow said that Ash was undergoing puberty, it wasn’t only just a drop in voice that was coming.

Ash would find his mood soaring and plunging almost at random, exacerbated by sudden bouts of anger and aggression. Professor Oak and Delia were extremely understanding, as these were typical mood swings experienced by individuals going through puberty, and tried their best to accommodate Ash wherever possible. His unstable emotions, however, seemed to magnify the bad memories, which further diminished Ash’s will to speak. Within two months, Ash was literally replying with only one-word responses, grunts or gestures to display his thoughts.

This worried Professor Oak, who decided that a comprehensive solution was needed.

So one morning when Ash showed up for his private tutoring, the researcher had a proposition for the child.

“Ash, my boy, how would you like to learn sign language?”

Ash tilted his head in confusion.

“Sign language is a form of communication used by deaf and mute individuals. The former is because they cannot hear others speak, and the latter because they are unable to speak. I understand that speaking is touchy subject for you, so instead of using verbal words, we can communicate with signs and gestures. How about it?”

Not speaking? Ash liked the sound of that. But who was going to teach him?

Sensing his query, Professor Oak smiled, “Don’t worry, Ash. I will teach you. It is actually a requirement if one wanted to become the regional professor, in the situation that we have to work with deaf or mute individuals.”

**“…Mum?”**

“I’ll teach her too, so that she can communicate with you too. So, what do you think, Ash?”

The young boy didn’t have to verbally respond this time. He simply nodded.

* * *

Things fell into a routine for Ash.

He would spend the morning learning sign language with Professor Oak and his mother, and then the afternoon learning about Pokémon biology, ecology, and relationships with humans. Other subjects included research-gathering, and hands-on activities with the Pokémon living in Professor Oak’s ranch.

It kept the young boy busy, but there were moments that he needed to rest.

And it was during those periods of rest where Ash would think…and overthink.

As he was still learning how to properly use sign language, Ash often had no means to express his thoughts. When dealing with the difficulties that came with early puberty, it made the already complicated brooding even worse.

Very quickly, Ash was losing his purpose in life. So what that he was learning under the revered Professor Oak and didn’t have to speak anymore. What could he do with his life? Whoever heard of a mute Pokémon trainer? As far as Ash knew, Pokémon needed to be given verbal instructions in battle, otherwise it wouldn’t know what to do and be easily beaten by its opponent. Even though Professor Oak was his teacher, Ash knew he was no prodigy. He would never reach the level that his teacher stood on, no matter how hard he worked or tried.

So what could he do in life?

Ash vehemently refused to fulfil the callous predictions of the townspeople who thought he wasn’t going to amount to anything because he was a freak of nature. But with so many doors closed, what options were left? Ash didn’t know, and it haunted him like a vengeful ghost for several months.

Then, shortly after Ash’s ninth birthday, a door swung open so hard that it scared away the ghost and sent it screeching back into the shadows.

* * *

It was a perfectly ordinary, early-summer Sunday. The scorching sun was out, hanging high amidst blue skies and wisps of white clouds. Inside the Ketchum residence, the air-conditioning was blowing at full-blast, blanketing the living room in a chilly coolness that was a stark contrast to the rising temperatures outside.

Ash flipped through the channels on TV. So far, nothing caught the young boy’s interests. Re-runs of cartoons, Pokémon documentaries, cooking shows, news broadcasts were all that filled the airwaves this particular afternoon.

The young boy sighed. If there was truly nothing to watch, perhaps he could head up to the lab and grab a book to read.

His finger absently pressed the channel-shift button.

“For those of you who are just joining us this afternoon, we are about to begin our live broadcast of the newly-crowned Champion of Kanto and Johto, Lance Wataru of the Blackthorn Clan’s first-ever exhibition match against his good friend and rising star, Steven Stone from Hoenn. How are things down at the Indigo Stadium, Melissa?”

The image then shifted to that of a loud, rowdy stadium.

“Extremely noisy is putting it lightly, Jonathan!” Melissa laughed over the din, “The excitement is so palpable I can almost touch it with my fingers! Anyway, we’re literally just minutes away from the start of the match. The people gathered here today are itching for a no-holds-barred fight! I’ve been speaking to some of them over the past hour, and oh boy are they vibrating in their seats!”

Snippets of various interviews followed next. The consensus was the same, excited about the match, and hope for the Champion’s win. Ash paid attention to none of that, instead thinking about the man that was Lance Wataru.

He had briefly heard the man’s name only once before, when he overheard the local radio station broadcasting Lance’s inauguration as Kanto and Johto’s newest, and youngest, Champion about a month prior. He had actually never seen the man before, let alone what he was like on the battlefield.

His interest was piqued. If Lance is the Champion, surely he’s good, right?

Ash watched in silence as the man himself stepped out onto the field amidst the frenzied cheers of the spectators. Lance was powerfully-built, tall, and had red hair styled in a manner that reminded Ash of a Gyarados. He walked with an air of sheer confidence and might, as if nothing in the world could faze or frighten him. Lance had a black cape with a red underlayer that billowed as he moved out into the light. Ash had to admit that the Champion did look cool, especially the cape.

Steven’s entrance was noticeably muted as compared to Lance’s, though Ash could easily chalk it up Lance being the crowd favourite in his home turf. The two shared some banter that was picked up by the camera’s audio, before things immediately turned serious. The battle was about to start.

“Claydol, go!”

Lance smirked, “Kingdra, do me proud.”

What followed was a brutal, but no less awe-inspiring battle between the dragon-like seahorse and the rocky, statue-like Pokémon. Claydol put up a good fight, but was ultimately bested by Kingdra through an overpowered Hydro Pump. Kingdra would then go on to plough through another two more of Steven’s Pokémon, an Armaldo and an Aggron, before it was finally taken out by Steven’s Skarmory.

Despite that, Lance had the perfect Pokémon to face against his opponent’s armour bird Pokémon.

“Charizard, go!”

The crowd went crazy seeing the fiery pseudo-dragon materialise into the battlefield. From there, it was a curb-stomp battle where Charizard one-shotted Skarmory with a Flamethrower. Charizard had to put in a more effort to take down the Cradily that came out to avenge her fallen teammates. Once the dual-type barnacle Pokémon was taken down, Lance recalled Charizard to let him rest.

“I may be down to my last Pokémon, but I won’t be backed into a corner.” Steven remarked, “My chances of winning are next to none, but that doesn’t mean I can’t go out with in a dazzling blaze of glory. Metagross, show everyone here what you are made of!”

A massive, robotic-like Pokémon with four powerful, iron legs materialised and crashed onto the field with a loud boom, sending tremors ricocheting across the stadium.

“I admire your valour, Steven. But I am not the Champion of Kanto and Johto for no reason. Hydreigon, let us finish this!”

A great gasp echoed across the stadium, though Ash didn’t understand why at the time. A three-headed, monstrous-looking draconic Pokémon appeared on the field, and let out a deafening roar that sent shivers down Ash’s spine. He would never wish to encounter one in the wild.

“Metagross, use Bullet Punch!”

“Dodge, Hydreigon. And then use Dark Pulse!”

It was a battle between two powerhouses, though it became apparent after some time that Hydreigon was gaining the upper hand. It’s Dark-type moves clearly had a super-effective impact on Metagross, with the occasional Dragon-type attack to boost the power used. Metagross put up a good fight, but ultimately it was bested by a powered-up Throat Chop from Hydreigon.

“Metagross is unconscious and unable to battle! The victor of this exhibition match is Champion Lance Wataru of the Blackthorn clan!”

Ash ignored the loud cheers and chants. His focus remained on the Champion, who waved to his people with composed exuberance.

It was as if something had flipped a switch within him. The perpetual uncertainty and darkness that had plagued him for months seemed to dissipate from watching that battle between the two men. With his own two eyes, he had seen the powerful, outright dangerous might of Dragon Pokémon. He also saw how the spectators adored Champion Lance with their cheers and praises. Even with an absolute monster like a Hydreigon, Lance was seen as a leader that people looked up to, respected and supported.

Ash wanted the same for himself. He wanted people to respect him, not fear or hate him. He had long wracked his brain for how to achieve such a goal, and now, the answer was being presented to him.

He knew what he had to do now.

“Ash? Lunch is ready.”

The raven-haired child turned to his mother, who did a double-take.

“Ash? Is everything okay?”

He began to shakily sign, _“Mum…I found…my…purpose.”_

* * *

**To Be Continued.**

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not much to say this time round, so we'll wrap things up with the usual protocol. Your honest feedback and kudos are greatly appreciated, while flaming of any sort will not be tolerated.
> 
> Take care everyone, and happy reading.
> 
> \- SilentGhostWriter2017


	4. Change For The Better

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> We begin with Delia's perspective until the fateful moment where Ash discovers his purpose, ending with our silent protagonist taking his first step on his journey to become a Dragon-type Master.

Delia had been especially worried for her son.

Ever since the fallout from his assault on Gary, she had watch Ash grow increasingly withdrawn and silent. She would often see him staring at nothing or out into the distance, the emotional turmoil and melancholy in his honey-whiskey irises betraying the stoic expression he now wore. While she understood and respected his reluctance to speak due to the bad memories that he associated with his deep voice, the silence that filled the house became extremely depressing and oppressive very quickly.

Once upon a time, Ash’s cheerful, excitable voice echoed through the walls. Be it when he was cheering on Pokémon during televised battles, making interested noises whenever he watched documentaries, or talking excitedly about something he’d learnt in school over dinner with his mother.

But all that now was a distant memory. Ash only communicated with her through sign language, and even that wasn’t completely smooth-sailing given how he was still mastering the hand signs and gestures. If she wanted to be honest, Delia missed interacting with her son. But Ash’s best interests were in her heart, and she would do whatever it took to respect them.

Delia would often wonder how she could better support her son in such trying times. She too had been diligently practicing and learning sign language herself, but beyond that she was at a loss. And it troubled her greatly. A mother always wanted the best for her children, and not being able to be their pillar of support weighed heavy on her mind.

Every night, she prayed to the heavens for a way forward. Anything to alleviate the pain her son was silently going through. Despite her constant doubts, Delia continued praying, hoping that her pleas would be answered.

And they were.

The light came when Delia was preparing lunch. Ash was watching TV in the living room, and judging from the loud noises, he was watching a televised Pokémon battle.

Setting the dishes on the table, Delia stepped out of the kitchen to check on her son. He was staring at the screen, not noticing her.

“Ash? Lunch is ready.”

Her son turned around, and Delia bit back a gasp.

Let it be known that Delia had seen the light literally disappear from Ash’s irises after his assault on Gary, and had grown accustomed to seeing the desaturated, faded honey-whiskey colour whenever Ash communicated with her.

This time though, Delia could have sworn that her son’s irises were literally glowing.

She didn’t want to get her hopes up too high, but she simply had to ask.

“Ash? Is everything okay?”

Her son began to sign, and while it was shaky, she was able to make out the words, _“Mum…I found…my…purpose.”_

It took a moment for Delia to register what her son was implying. So overwhelmed with joy, she couldn’t sign back to express her relief and happiness. Delia simply went over to Ash, and pulled him into a tight hug. Ash returned it immediately, burying his face into his mother’s shoulder. Lunch was temporarily forgotten, as mother and son silently celebrated finally seeing the light at the end of the tunnel.

* * *

Ash immediately knew that achieving his purpose was not going to be easy.

His readings and lessons with Professor Oak following that fateful exhibition match taught him under no uncertain terms that Dragon-types and their pseudo-forms were arguably the most dangerous kind of Pokémon on the planet. Countless trainers have either been seriously maimed or lost their lives trying to tame Dragon-types. It took a special type of trainer (Champion Lance came to mind) to even begin to understand the behaviour of Dragon-types, let alone tame them or, perhaps more mind-bogglingly, become their friend.

It was one of the reasons Lance was so respected. If he could make the most temperamental type of Pokémon work with him through mutual trust, then he was a man that was not to be messed with.

But, as Ash rationalised, even Lance had to start somewhere. Ash didn’t believe that the Champion was born with a natural ability to connect with Dragon-types. He probably had a lot of experience and stories built up over the years through constant exposure with Dragon-types.

A bit more research about Lance’s family history revealed that the Blackthorn clan had co-existed with Dragon-types for generations. Heck, their insignia was a literal dragon’s head. It was no wonder where Lance got all his experience from.

Unfortunately, Ash was not blessed with being born in the clan or even the city that bore its name in Johto. His knowledge of Dragon-types were limited to the resources available at Professor Oak’s laboratory, the Internet, or the Dragonite that was once his most powerful partner when the revered researcher was still in the battling scene.

Not to offend the Dragonite or anything, but Ash couldn’t exactly call it a reliable specimen to study and learn from. Oak’s Dragonite, just like the man himself, had mellowed down with age. From his previous experiences listening to Gary’s stories, the Dragonite was a literal monster on the battlefield, taking down opponents left, right and centre without even breaking a sweat. Now, from Ash’s observations, Dragonite preferred to snooze against one of the many trees that made up the corral, but still kept a watchful eye over the entire ranch and the many Pokémon that made it their home.

Ash would prefer to study and learn about Dragon-types that were still young and aggressive. That way, he’d be able to understand their behaviours while they were in their prime, their quirks and nuances, everything that could allow him to foster a connection on an intimate level with Dragon-types.

And that led to another issue. Kanto, as a region, had very few Dragon-types or pseudo-dragons to call its own.

The only pure or dual-typed Pokémon that had Dragon blood in them were Dratini, Dragonair, and Dragonite, all three of which were extremely rare and notoriously hard to find, let alone capture. Charizard was counted as a pseudo-dragon, and while Ash could easily obtain one if he chose Charmander as his starter and trained it up to its final evolutionary form, it wouldn’t exactly stick out from most other trainers who had a Charmander as their starter too. Aerodactyl was another pseudo-dragon, but Ash’s chances of having one on his team were next to none. Aerodactyl have been extinct for millennia, and the only known way of obtaining one was to revive it from an Old Amber, again notoriously difficult to find. Not to mention the costs required to revive the extinct Pokémon would financially bankrupt his mother.

This quickly became a persistent problem for Ash. How was he going to build up his team if he couldn’t find the right Pokémon in the first place?

At first, Ash thought that it would take him years before he could start building his team. He never expected the heavens to give him a starting boost one innocuous summer day.

* * *

Once again, it was another lonely summer for Ash, who had turned ten two months prior. Everyone, apart from his mother and Professor Oak, avoided him. Gary still attempted to make things difficult for him, but the threat of a heavy object flying in the brunette’s direction forced him to keep things verbal.

Ash felt bored. He had read through virtually every book available on Dragon-types in Oak’s library, and scoured through the articles and papers provided by the Internet at least ten times each. The professor and his mother essentially forced him out in order to get some fresh air and not hole himself up indoors

With no peers to play with or hang out, Ash simply wandered around town, hoping for something that would break the monotony of his existence. His feet took him through the commercial centre, where he chanced upon an empty storefront with a large ‘SOLD’ sign pasted across the window. Further inspection revealed that the new occupant, an exercise gym, was going to move in next month.

This piqued Ash’s interest. An exercise gym would be a good place to bulk up his fitness. Right now, his main form of exercise was his morning jogs around town. But if he wanted to get on Lance’s level, he would need to put more effort and exertion into muscles. Furthermore, Dragon-types, especially the more temperamental ones, were among the most violent Pokémon in existence. Not only would increased strength aid in taming these ferocious Pokémon, visible muscle mass would be serve as a warning that the trainer was not one to mess with easily. Call it intimidation, but it ensured the continuance of mutual trust.

Ash took a mental note of when the gym was moving in, and continued on his walk. Letting his feet do the work, Ash found himself approaching the harbour at the southern end of town.

Pallet Harbour had its grand heyday several hundred years ago when the main centres of commerce were small settlements just like Pallet in its early days. However, once cities began to spring up, and the port at Vermilion City opened, activity at Pallet Harbour dwindled until it was abandoned about a century ago. Today, the beach where the harbour stands now serves as a vacation spot for locals and tourists, with the old wooden docks that made up the harbour restored by the town mayor and used as both diving boards and a photograph spot for weddings.

Despite being the middle of summer, the beach was devoid of people. Ash didn’t mind, he was fine being alone, and it had been a while since he’d last visited Pallet Harbour.

Stepping onto the wooden boardwalk, Ash walked over to the very end. Bending down to slip off his shoes, Ash sat down, put his shoes by his side, and dipped his feet into the blue waters. Even with the sweltering temperatures, the water was cooling, and Ash sighed in relief.

For fifteen minutes Ash stared out into the open sea that made up Route 21 which headed towards Cinnabar Island. With only the sound of water moving and the waves splashing onto the sand several metres behind him, Ash silently appreciated what Mother Nature offered to him this particular day. The openness of the outside world also did wonders for Ash’s mental state. The continuation of the moving world occupied Ash’s focus, away from the internal brooding and debating that would typically fill his mind. For a short while, he could forget about his worries and be in the moment, as clichéd as it sounded.

Deciding that he had been sitting idle long enough, Ash pulled his feet out of the water. Slipping on shoes, Ash walked back across the harbour towards the beach. As he stepped off onto the sad, the afternoon sun shimmered, a beam of light reflecting off something and catching Ash’s eye.

As it was several metres away, Ash didn’t immediately recognise what it was. But as he stepped closer to have a better look, his eyes widened.

It was a Pokémon.

Ash hurried over, going down on his knees. The Pokémon resembled a seahorse, and it was turquoise in colour. It had multiple cuts and bruises that were seeping blood, dying the waves that crashed over it a slight crimson tint. It was unconscious, but appeared to be breathing, albeit shallowly.

From his lessons, Ash recognised the Pokémon as a Horsea, and a Shiny one for that matter. Any further thoughts were pushed into the back-burner when the tinted sea water reminded Ash that this Horsea was in need of urgent medical attention.

Gently picking up the small seahorse Pokémon, Ash immediately turned-tail and hurried back into town. While Pallet didn’t have a Pokémon Centre due to its small size, Professor Oak did have some background in medicine and Pokémon health.

He just hoped that it was enough to save Horsea.

* * *

Professor Samuel Oak was enjoying his fifth mug of tea during his break, when he heard the door of his laboratory slam open. Right away, he knew who it was. After all, only one person he knew would just enter his laboratory without calling out for him or knocking.

He turned around just as hurried footsteps skidded to a stop before him, “Ash! How may I-”

His words died and he did a double-take.

“Ash, what happened to that- you know what, not now. My boy, follow me quickly.”

The revered researcher got out of his seat and strode out of the room, Ash following close behind. They reached another room near the back of the laboratory, which they entered without knocking. One of Oak’s assistants was inside, reading a book.

“Catherine, we have an medical emergency at hand.”

The assistant got right into business, book forgotten, “Right away, Professor.”

She approached Ash, and carefully took Horsea from him. Catherine then placed the small seahorse Pokémon on what resembled an operating table. She went over a console, and pressed a few buttons. From the table’s side, a glass case covered Horsea. Water began pouring in, filling the case to the brim. Catherine then started typing in earnest over the console, activating several tube-like robotic appendages that attached themselves to the case. Beams of orange light shot from the appendages into the water over Horsea, beginning the healing process.

Professor Oak turned to Ash, and signed, _“How did you come across that Horsea, my boy?”_

_“I found it when I was at Pallet Harbour,”_ Ash signed back, _“Professor, will Horsea be okay?”_

_“I’m sure it will,”_ Professor Oak signed, _“Catherine is exceptional at her job.”_

Ash nodded, turning back to the operating table where the assistant continued to work on Horsea. Twenty minutes would pass, before the procedure was done. The water was drained, and the case removed. Ash approached the small seahorse Pokémon. Its cuts were gone, and the bruises faded.

“Good work, Catherine,” said Professor Oak, “You know what to do from here.”

“Yes, Professor.”

The researcher turned to Ash and signed, _“Come, my boy, I’m sure that you have questions that you want to ask.”_

Oak led his student back to the room where he was previously.

_“Professor, I thought that Horsea lived in the Seafoam Islands. How did this one end up at Pallet Harbour?”_

_“I have a couple of theories, my boy,”_ Oak signed back, _“You’d notice that this particular Horsea is a Shiny, right?”_ Ash nodded. _“Unlike us humans, who prize Shiny Pokémon due to their rarity, Pokémon whose offspring are Shiny often abandon these offspring. Why this particular behaviour happens we are still not entirely sure. It’s more than likely that this poor Horsea was abandoned by its parents, gotten attacked, and ended up on Pallet Harbour where you found it.”_

Ash thought about it for a moment, before signing, _“So what’s gonna happen to it?”_

_“In most circumstances, it will be released back into the wild. However, I have a few misgivings about that. Judging from its size, this particular Horsea is very young, possibly only a few weeks old. Without guidance and protection from its parents, it won’t survive for long out in the wild. Second, I have a proposition for you, Ash.”_

The boy tilted his head.

_“I have been observing your education progress over the past year, and your preference for Dragon-type Pokémon has not waned. Your desire and thirst for draconic knowledge remains insatiable, and what better sating that thirst than raising a Pokémon whose final evolutionary form is part Dragon?”_

Ash’s eyes widened. In his haste to get Horsea to safety, he had completely forgotten about his long-standing worries about how he was going to put together a team that could surpass Lance.

_“But…I thought I wouldn’t be allowed to have a Pokémon until I’m twelve?”_

_“Again, in most circumstances,”_ Professor Oak signed back, _“However, there is nothing in the League laws that say an adult can’t have a Pokémon as a pet. We can legally register Horsea under your mother’s name. It will become a part of your family, and you can have a hand at raising it until it is time for you to become a fully-licensed trainer. So how about it, Ash?”_

The young didn’t need to think too much about it.

_“I accept.”_

* * *

**To Be Continued.**

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So not much to say this time round. I'll wrap things up here with the usual protocol, your honest feedback and kudos are greatly appreciated, while flaming of any sort will not be tolerated.
> 
> Take care, and stay healthy, everyone.
> 
> \- SilentGhostWriter2017


	5. Developments

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Horsea Ash rescued proves to be quite a remarkable seahorse Pokémon.

Ash very quickly realised that he had a budding problem.

While it wasn’t difficult for Professor Oak to register Horsea under the care of the Ketchum family, Ash’s plans to start a friendship with the newest member of his family hit the expected roadblock on how to communicate with the little seahorse Pokémon. Normal communication required speaking, something Ash was vehemently adverse to, and he wasn’t sure if Horsea could understand sign language.

It was a problem that had no clear solution, unless Ash decided to risk further trauma by using his neglected voice box.

But as Professor Oak always told him, nothing new would ever be discovered if no one tried the unknown.

So Ash decided to conduct an experiment.

* * *

Ash waited a week for Horsea to get accustomed to living in the Ketchum’s living room in a large tank generously given by Professor Oak. While Horsea were able to travel and breathe outside of water (one of the many wonders of Pokémon), they needed to be exposed to water for at least two hours a day, otherwise their scales would dry out and crack, leading to sores which can ooze blood. These wounds in turn could become infected and endanger the life of the Horsea.

Horsea took a few days to open up to the Ketchums, preferring to stay in one corner of the tank. But after daily rounds of food and a filter that constantly kept the tank water clean, the young seahorse began to show signs of contentment, perhaps even happiness. It became excited when either Ash or Delia came with its food, and Ash took it as a good sign that he might be able to attempt his experiment soon.

Once a week had passed, Ash waited for an opportune time to get to Horsea alone.

As it was, the young seahorse Pokémon was snoozing in its favourite corner of the tank. Ash came close, and gently tapped on the glass. Horsea immediately woke up, and seeing Ash on the other side of the glass, slowly swam up to the surface to see what he wanted. It was a vast improvement from the time where it flinched and hid away whenever Ash or Delia was too close.

Ash signed, _“Hey there, Horsea. I don’t think we were properly introduced. My name is Ash Ketchum.”_

Horsea made a noise of acknowledgement, waving its small fins. Ash took it as a good sign, although it wasn’t enough to know if Horsea was just casually responding to his hand signs or it actually knew what he was signing. He continued, _“I am mute, which means I can’t speak. I use sign language as my means of communication. However, I know most Pokémon interact with their human friends and family through speaking. I don’t know if Pokémon can understand sign language, but I want to test it out. Horsea, were you able to understand what my hands were signing to you?”_

Ash expected a number of things, but the least he had expected was for Horsea to immediately nod its head.

_“Wait…you understood what I was signing?”_

Another affirmative nod.

Ash stared at Horsea for a moment, quickly losing himself to his thoughts.

‘So Horsea can understand sign language, that in itself is amazing. But is Horsea the only species of Pokémon who can understand sign language? Or are all Pokémon capable of understanding? If all species can understand this form of communication, do they know all the hand signs and gestures? Or is it different for each Pokémon species?’

Horsea tilted its head in confusion, wondering why its owner suddenly stopping signing to it. Ash eventually shifted out his thinking and signed, _“Horsea, fancy a trip out of the house? I need to see Professor Oak.”_

“Hor!” the seahorse nodded.

* * *

_“So what you’re telling me, my boy, is that Horsea here can understand sign language?”_ Professor Oak signed to his student in disbelief.

_“I am absolutely sure,”_ Ash signed back, _“I asked it if it could understand what my hands were signing, and it nodded its head, twice.”_

_“Remarkable, simply remarkable,”_ Oak leaned back into his chair, _“If this can be verified, it will be a ground-breaking discovery in Pokémon research! Pokémon are already classified as sapient beings, but being able to understand nonverbal communication is something that takes things to a whole new level! Just imagine, what else are Pokémon capable of!”_

The revered professor’s signing had grown faster the more excited he became. Ash was almost lost in translation a couple of times.

_“It also means that I can start working on Horsea’s move sets,”_ Ash added, cutting in before the professor could go off on a tangent, _“That way it can become stronger to take on other Pokémon.”_

_“A smart move, my boy,”_ Oak nodded, _“Speaking of which, you should get to know what are its starting moves.”_

The professor handed him a red handheld device, _“You can borrow my Pokédex, you’ll get one yourself when you start your Pokémon journey.”_

Ash took it, and scanned Horsea.

** “Scan complete. Horsea, the seahorse dragon Pokémon. It is known to shoot down flying bugs with precision blasts of ink from the surface of the water. This specimen is a Shiny. Gender is male, and has the Sniper ability. His current move sets includes Water Gun, Bubble, Leer, Smokescreen, and the locked egg move Aurora Beam.” **

****

_“Interesting,”_ Professor Oak rubbed his chin, _“an unusual egg move for a would-be Dragon-type, but not impossible. Judging from my estimates, it wouldn’t take long for Horsea to evolve into a Seadra. Horsea are known for their rapid growth and development, after all. The trouble starts when you want to evolve it into a Kingdra. You will need a Dragon Scale, and they are notoriously difficult to find.”_

_“I will cross that bridge when I come to it,”_ Ash signed back, before turning to the seahorse Pokémon, _“Horsea, I aim to become a Dragon-type Master in the future. I have to start somewhere, so can we work together to achieve that dream?”_

“Hor! Horsea!”

_“I promise to do my best too.”_

* * *

Horsea’s training wasn’t the only priority on the agenda for Ash.

He never forgot that Pallet Town would soon have its own exercise gym opening the following week. In the days leading up to the opening, Ash spent many an hour putting together a workout regime. Most health and fitness websites he could find suggested that children his age should stick to strength training, refraining from intense workouts that focus on weightlifting or bodybuilding. But while that was the general consensus, this did not apply for someone like Ash.

With puberty coming in much earlier than most boys, Ash’s workout plan accommodated the growing reserves of energy within him. Going beyond strength training, he included weight training with dumbbells, weight stacks and bars. Even then, he kept things light until he could get accustomed to working out more often.

And when the gym finally opened, Ash was the first to sign up for membership.

He wasn’t the only one, plenty of other townspeople came to the gym on a daily basis. As usual, they all kept their distance from him. Ash paid them no attention, and focused on his workouts.

Very quickly, a routine was set. The mornings were spent with Professor Oak and training Horsea. The afternoons were used up with more training for Horsea and several hours at the gym. Ash was always knackered at the end of the day, but on the bright side, he never had to worry about insomnia since the exhaustion would always overwhelm him within seconds of hitting his bed.

This routine would continue for two years. In the meantime, an interesting development occurred.

* * *

Several months in, and Ash could say with certainty that Horsea’s, or Airavata, as he had named his friend, training was coming along smoothly.

It only took a week or so for Airavata to master Water Gun and Bubble, moving forward to Bubble Beam and then Hydro Pump. He still hasn’t unlocked Aurora Beam, but Ash figured that more training would help Airavata to begin grasping the basics.

Training took place in Professor Oak’s corral or the beach at Pallet Harbour, though mostly at the latter. Many of the other residents of the corral got spooked by Airavata’s moves as they got progressively stronger, so on the professor’s advice, Ash moved the training to the beach.

As Ash didn’t use his voice to communicate, he came up with a series of hand signals that represented each move he wanted Airavata to use. While the Horsea was able to pick up on these signals relatively quickly, a major downside made itself known almost immediately. Airavata had to constantly turn back to Ash for the next signal, which the young preteen knew could very well cost them a battle if their opponent had fast reflexes and quick reaction-time. He spent many a day trying to think of ways to get around this problem, but no solution presented itself.

Until one did, completely unexpectedly.

Trying to put his conundrum at the back of his mind, Ash focused on training Airavata to master Hydro Pump. It was a cool, spring day, perfectly ordinary. Nothing could have prepared Ash for the ground-breaking development that was to come.

Preteen and Pokémon were taking a break. Ash sat on the steps of the wooden docks, his mind going back to the problem he currently faced. As Airavata soaked himself amidst the incoming waves to hydrate his scales, Ash sank deeper into his thoughts. Idly, he moved his fingers into the signal for Hydro Pump.

Then came a loud boom, and the sound of concentrated water blasting forward under great pressure.

Ash scrambled off the steps, thinking that a Gyarados was attacking. Instead, he was greeted by the sight of little Airavata executing a Hydro Pump so powerful it blasted through the rock of the coastline, toppling over several trees and sending them careening into the water with enormous splashes. The air echoed with the caws and chirps of frantic birds fleeing the attack. Ash was so stunned by what was happening, that for the first time in years…

…he spoke.

**“Ai-”**

Ash dissolved into a violent coughing fit, loud enough to snap Airavata out of his attack. Ash crumpled to the sand, hand clutching his throat. His voice box had gone metaphorically rusty after years of disuse, and any slight movement aggravates his throat. Ash often had to drink copious amounts of water to deal with the grating ache, and this time was no exception.

Airavata rubbed his snout against Ash’s cheek in an attempt to soothe his master’s predicament, as the preteen gulped down his entire water bottle’s contents in one go. Ash sighed, bottle falling to his side.

“Hor?”

Ash turned to Horsea, and signed, _“Horsea, what did you do?”_

“Hor, horsea! Ho, horsea, hor!”

From his Pokémon’s expressions, Ash deduced that he was trying to explain the Hydro Pump he just pulled off. But his main questions were still unanswered.

_“Why did you pull off that Hydro Pump?”_

Horsea levitated over to Ash’s hand, and tapped his snout on the back of his palm.

‘My hand…? Does he mean the hand signals?’

The seahorse Pokémon then rose to Ash’s forehead, and tapped his snout against.

‘My head? Or…mind?’

Ash furrowed his brows, ‘Did Airavata see my hand signals in his head? But…how is that possible? Horsea aren’t psychic…but…?’

Airavata tilted his head in curious confusion. Ash signed, _“Airavata, did you see my hand signal for Hydro Pump in your head?”_

The Horsea nodded, inadvertently shattering his master’s view of the world in one move.

Ash remained frozen, completely stunned. It took several moments for his brain to start working again. He took out a Pokéball.

_“Airavata, return.”_

The seahorse Pokémon disappeared into the ball in a beam of red light. Ash stood up, went to grab his water bottle and bag, and left the beach towards town.

* * *

The scene was eerily similar to a previous meeting months ago.

_“My boy,”_ Professor Oak barely remembered to sign, _“are you telling me that Airavata has somehow made a pseudo-telepathic connection that allows him to see your hand signals, thereby allowing him to know which move you want him to use?”_

_“That is literally the gist of it, Professor,”_ Ash signed back.

The revered researcher was stunned. He leaned back into his chair, and released a drawn-out breath. He signed, _“Do you know what this means? Telepathic communication may not be limited to only psychics! You might have just stumbled on a further expansion of communication with Pokémon!”_

_“I know, Professor,”_ Ash signed, _“But how do we go about testing this? What if I am the only one capable of creating this pseudo-telepathic connection?”_

_“You just continue what you set out to do, my boy,”_ Oak signed resolutely, _“I will conduct the tests and further research on this phenomenon. All you need to do is focus on your dream, Ash.”_

The preteen nodded, _“I will.”_

Things were a lot more clearer now, and he was going to take advantage of it to the fullest.

* * *

**To Be Continued.**

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm really tired, and I'm about to nod off, so I'll wrap things up and go to bed.
> 
> I've read your comments about the inclusion or exclusion of Aura in this story. While I have expressed my reasons why I decided not to include Aura, I had a brainwave not too long ago. I thought to myself, what if Ash was able to create a telepathic bond with his Pokémon? Add this and that, and we have a development that is going to aid Ash immensely in his journey to become a Dragon-type Master.
> 
> Second, a bit of trivia behind Horsea's name. Airavata is Sanskrit for 'child of water'. 
> 
> That's all from me for now. As usual, the same protocol. Your honest feedback and kudos are greatly appreciated, while flaming of any sort will not be tolerated.
> 
> Take care everyone, and please, do the right thing.
> 
> \- SilentGhostWriter2017


	6. The First Day

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ash prepares for his first day as a licensed Pokémon trainer, receives a gift and kicks someone's ass.

In the two years that passed, Ash and Airavata underwent noticeable growth.

By the new year of Ash’s twelfth year of existence, Airavata had evolved into a Seadra, three times his original size, and far more draconic-looking than in his first evolutionary form. Ash celebrated this momentous occasion by spending time with his first friend swimming and frolicking in the waters off Pallet Harbour. There was very little that made Ash smile, but that single afternoon seeing Airavata looking so happy meant that there was no stopping the corners of his lips from turning up the slightest.

Ash had also evolved, in a sense. He grew out his hair, and thanks to daily workouts at the exercise gym and training with Airavata, he was well underway into building a body of a professional gymnast for himself. It was not uncommon for young children to run away screaming when they see him coming down the street, which prompted a whole slew of harassment from their parents towards Ash for allegedly traumatising the innocent darlings.

While Professor Oak and Delia did their best to drive off the hecklers, Ash found a simpler method – stare at them unnervingly for a prolonged period, making them so uncomfortable that they back off. It quickly became a rumour amongst the elderly that Ash was able to put a curse on someone through his unnerving stare, something that the preteen inwardly scoffed. If only he was so lucky.

Bar those isolated incidents, Ash turned twelve with relatively little fanfare. Perhaps the only exciting things that happened during his sparsely-attended birthday party was Airavata accidentally blasting Ash with a Water Gun out of jubilation when his master blew out the candles on his cake, and Professor Oak revealing that Ash's discovery of Airavata understanding sign language and the pseudo-telepathic connection is being extensively studied and tested with other consenting Pokémon. If all goes according to plan, a full research paper, authored by both Ash and the professor, would be published to the global scientific community by year's end.

That aside, it was the first of June that was what occupied Ash’s mind. That was the day when Professor Oak gave out the three Kanto starter Pokémon to newly-licensed trainers. Granted, the revered researcher did this on the first day of every month until the end of the year, but Oak specifically told Ash to meet him at the laboratory on the first of June, for what the preteen didn’t know. All Oak would tell him was that it was a surprise.

* * *

The fated day arrived. Ash woke up early and ate a hearty breakfast with his mother and Airavata. He got dressed in casual clothes (he’ll return to change into his travelling clothes once he finished whatever business with Professor Oak), returned Airavata into his Pokéball, and took off for the laboratory.

As far as he knew, through relayed gossip, only three trainers would be leaving Pallet Town to begin their journeys that day. Gary was, obviously, the first one. In fact, Ash would have raised both eyebrows if he had learnt that his former childhood friend was not going to become a trainer. It had been his lifelong dream, alongside Ash’s, after all.

The other two new trainers were a girl and boy by the names of Anne-Marie Wilkins and Timothy Jamal-Harris. Anne-Marie, from what little Ash remembered of her back when he still went to school with other children, was an only child of wealthy parents and the stereotypical, textbook definition of a spoiled brat. Ash never liked her ever since first meeting her at school, and he kept his distance. Timothy on the other hand was very reserved and introverted. The youngest child of parents who emigrated from Unova, the Jamal-Harris family, who all had dark skin, stood out in a town that was very racially-homogenous. While no one was overtly-racist towards the Jamal-Harrises, not everyone was very welcoming either. The family kept to themselves and focused on what they needed to do. The parents went to work in Viridian City, while Timothy’s older sister went on her own journey. Timothy just focused on his studies and never really interacted with anyone, not even Ash before puberty set in. And while Timothy didn’t get involved in the subsequent ostracization and bullying, he always stood in the side-lines, never stepping up or being there for Ash at his lowest.

Ash had no idea what Anne-Marie or Timothy intended to do once they got their starter Pokémon, and frankly, he didn’t care. He had his own plan once he left Pallet Town.

The raven-haired preteen reached Oak’s laboratory in record time. He wasted no time in stepping inside. In the reception room, Professor Oak sat waiting for him.

_“Ah, Ash!”_ the researcher signed, getting up from his seat, _“Early just as always.”_

_“What is it that you wanted to tell me, Professor?”_ Ash signed back.

_“In due time, my boy,”_ Oak grinned, _“Once the others come and receive their Pokémon, I will give you your present.”_

Ash’s interest was intrigued.

Fifteen minutes later, Gary showed up. Ash reverted to his default stoniness, and refused to make eye-contact with his adversary. Apparently, the snub was enough to trip the brunette’s nerves. His lips twisted into a sneer, and he was about to spout some scathing insult when Oak intervened.

“Gary, open that mouth of yours and you can forget about getting your starter Pokémon.”

The warning served its purpose. Garry snapped his mouth shut, glowered, and went to sit furthest away from Ash as possible. The raven-haired preteen rolled his eyes at such childish behaviour.

Another ten minutes passed, and Timothy entered the laboratory. He was well-prepared for the journey that was to come, dressed in travelling attire, sturdy hiking boots, a hat and carrying a backpack filled with supplies.

“Good morning, Professor,” Timothy said.

“Good morning, Timothy, I see you’re ready to go.”

Timothy nodded silently, before going to a quiet corner to wait.

Anne-Marie took five minutes to appear, dressed and dolled-up as if she was going to some party and not a long journey into the open world. For a moment, Ash wondered if she was really going to walk out of Pallet Town like that, but quickly rationalised that she would be ferried around in one of her family’s limousines with a chauffeur at the wheel.

“Looks like everyone’s here!” Oak clapped his hands, “Now, please follow me.”

Gary and Anne-Marie rushed after the researcher, fighting over who got to be in front. Ash and Timothy followed at a more calmer, sedate pace. Oak led the four preteens into the main research room, and up to a table with three Pokéballs standing innocently on it.

“Now, I’m sure you all know the three Kanto starter Pokémon,” said the professor, “As it is, on the left, we have Bulbasaur, in the centre is Charmander, and on the right is Squirtle. Each one has their unique strengths, and neither are more powerful than the other. So, ladies first?”

Anne-Marie shot Gary a smug look, before stepping up to the table. She spent a moment thinking, before reaching for Bulbasaur’s Pokéball.

“Excellent! Now, Timothy you’re next.”

The dark-skinned preteen already had his choice in mind. He went for Charmander’s Pokéball.

“You’ll take the Squirtle, Gary.”

“Thanks, Gramps.”

Timothy then spoke up, “Professor, what about Ash?”

Oak opened his mouth to respond, but found himself rudely interrupted by Anne-Marie, “The freak would have to wait, I presume.”

“If I wasn’t so rudely cut off,” Oak glared at the nonchalant spoiled brat, “to answer your question, Timothy, Ash already has a Pokémon. A quite powerful one, I must say.”

Gary scoffed, “No way! Ashy-boy here can’t do anything right, let alone raise a Pokémon!”

Oak’s patience inched towards straining. Seeing a vein beginning to bulge on his mentor’s forehead, Ash unhooked Airavata’s Pokéball and released his friend.

Anne-Marie shrieked, Timothy took a step back. Airavata scanned his surroundings, his line of sight focusing on Gary. The Seadra narrowed his eyes, and prepared to blast his master’s adversary away with a Hydro Pump. Ash stopped him before he could cause bodily harm and property damage with a calm hand.

Gary, for his part, looked unimpressed, “Huh, so what. I’m sure I can beat that thing with my Squirtle. I challenge you to a battle, Ashy-boy, and I’ll show you who is the better trainer!”

Oak pinched his nose and sighed exasperatedly. He was about to knock some sense into his grandson when Ash got his attention.

_“It’s okay, Professor,”_ the raven-haired preteen signed, _“I’ll wipe his ass so badly that it will sting for weeks.”_

Oak relented, _“You do what needs to be done, Ash.”_ He turned to his grandson, “Ash accepts your challenge, now follow me.”

* * *

Professor Oak had a concrete field for practice battles out in the back of the corral. It was hardly used nowadays, but it was the safest place to have a battle without scaring the other Pokémon living in the corral or the townspeople.

Oak refereed the battle, with his grandson on one side, and Ash on the other. Anne-Marie and Timothy watched from the side-lines.

“Alright, I’ll put you in your freakish place right here and now,” Gary sneered, “Squirtle, go!”

Ash immediately released Airavata.

“Squirtle, use-”

Before Gary even had a chance to finish his command, Ash hid his hand behind his back and formed the signal for Hydro Pump. Despite the same type, Squirtle was blasted out of the field by a Hydro Pump refined and powered by years of training. So forceful the impact was that the turtle Pokémon was slammed into a tree several metres back, and instantly knocked out.

Everyone (bar Oak and Ash) stared dumbly. Ash went up to Airavata and gently stroked his fins.

“So Gary, convinced now?” asked Oak rhetorically.

The brunette was too shocked to even form a response.

The researcher took Squirtle’s Pokéball and returned the unconscious Pokémon, “Now that this is done, there is something I need to give you all back at the laboratory.”

* * *

Gary made his seething displeasure at losing by staying as far away from Ash as possible. Anne-Marie also kept her distance, completely intimidated from the match. Only Timothy had no such fears or qualms.

“Right, before I send you all off, here’s an important device that will certify you as trainers. The Kanto Pokédex.” Oak produced three red devices that had flip covers, “Recently upgraded by the Silph Co., this Pokédex covers both the Kanto and Johto regions, and provides a complete scan of every Pokémon that you encounter. It also acts as your main form of identification for any reason that may present itself. I also hope that you all can take on the challenge of documenting all the Pokémon in both regions, but that is entirely up to you. For the record though, no one has completed the Pokédex during my tenure as professor, but I continuously hold onto the slim chance that someone does…”

‘Unfortunately, I won’t be able to be that someone, Professor,’ Ash thought to himself.

Oak handed the three Pokédexes to Gary, Anne-Marie and Timothy, “The world awaits you. What you choose to do from here on out is your choice. But wherever your path takes, your starter and any Pokémon that forms your team will look to you for guidance, leadership and care. Treat them just like your family, because to them, you are their entire world. I wish you all the best, and have fun. Ash, if you could stay behind for a moment.”

The dismissal was clear. Gary and Anne-Marie dashed out of the laboratory, once again squabbling over who got out first. Timothy paused on his way out to give a nod of acknowledgement to Ash, before stepping out to his journey.

_“Are you going to show me the surprise that you talked about previously?”_ Ash signed.

_“Indeed I am, my boy,”_ Oak signed back, _“And I have it right here.”_

The researcher picked up a box from a table and gave it to Ash. The preteen opened it, and took out what appeared to be a red flatscreen device. Ash gave a questioning look.

_“This, my boy, is the prototype version of the Alolan Pokédex,”_ Oak explained, _“I called in a favour from Professor Akamu Kukui over in the Alola Region in order to give you something special for your journey. Currently, it functions just like the upgraded Kanto Pokédex, but unlike the Pokédexes I gave to the other three, this has what we call the National Pokédex built in. The National Pokédex will successfully scan and document every Pokémon in all the regions around the world. And once the final version is released to Alolan trainers, it should have many more features than just the basics.”_

Ash put the device under his arm, and signed, _“So do I just turn it on?”_

_“Ah, that’s where things get interesting,”_ Oak signed, just as a pinging sound echoed from a nearby computer, _“Oh good, that must be our friend from Professor Kukui.”_

Ash raised an eyebrow, before his confusion became that of shock when something seemed to phase out of the computer screen and zip about the room. Ash’s eyes barely caught what this strange thing was – it was shaped like a lightning rod that had a bulbous base, it was orange in colour and had what appeared to be a face. It was moving so fast that he was surprised that whatever it was didn’t collide with the many objects in the room.

_“Professor, what is that?”_

_“That, Ash, is a Rotom,”_ Oak signed back as Rotom zipped over his hair, _“It's a dual Electric and Ghost-type Pokémon that, according to Professor Kukui, can inhabit the device in your hands to turn it into the Rotom Pokédex. Think of it as an AI companion.”_

Rotom zipped around for a few more moments, before honing in on the red device. Ash barely had time to take it out from under his arm when Rotom shot straight into the device with a flash of light.

For a moment, nothing happened. Then, the screen came to life. What appeared to be mechanical eyes opened, and the device levitated up from Ash’s hands. The lightning rod-like appendage shot up, followed by fin-like arms and stubby feet. A smile appeared on the screen.

“Bzzt bzzt, set-up complete!”

Ash’s eyes widened, _“It can talk?!”_

_“One of the many wonders of technology, isn’t it?”_ Oak grinned, before turning to Rotom Dex, “Good morning, Rotom, my name is Professor Samuel Oak. This young man over here is Ash Ketchum, whom you will follow as his travelling companion.”

“Ash Ketchum, user registration complete. Good morning, Ash, it’s a pleasure to meet you!”

Ash signed, _“Good morning to you too, Rotom.”_

Question marks began appearing over Rotom Dex’s screen, “Cannot comprehend hand gestures.”

“Rotom, please download sign language into your communication database,” said Professor Oak, “Ash here is mute, which means he does not use verbal words to communicate.”

“Downloading available sign language files. Download complete!” Rotom Dex did a happy dance, “I can finally understand you, Ash! Even better, I can translate for you to others who are unfamiliar with sign language!”

Oak chuckled, “You are doing an immense service to Ash. Do take care of him for us, will you Rotom?”

Rotom Dex saluted, “You can count on me, Professor Oak!”

Oak turned to Ash, _“Now, I won’t keep you back any longer. Go have fun out there, and do make sure to give me and your mother a call every now and then, to let us know how you are doing and if you need any assistance.”_

_“I will, Professor,”_ Ash signed back, _“I’ll see you around.”_

_“Take care, Ash.”_

The preteen nodded, turning to Rotom Dex, _“C’mon, let’s go back to my home.”_

* * *

Whenever Ash returned home, he would press the doorbell before letting himself in, to tell his mother that he was back. This time was no exception.

“Ash!” Delia bustled out from the kitchen, “You’re back! And goodness, what is this?”

_“This is Rotom Dex, Mum,”_ Ash signed, _“It was the surprise that Professor Oak wanted to give to me. It will be my travelling companion.”_

“Is that so?” Delia mused, “Well, it’s a pleasure to meet you, Rotom Dex.”

“Bzzt, completing scan. Mum, synonymous with Mother, a parent to a child. Good morning, Ash’s mother! It’s a pleasure to meet you too!”

Delia chuckled, “Oh aren’t you a little charmer?” She turned to her son, _“Ash, why don’t you go get changed?”_

_“Okay, Mum.”_

Ash disappeared up the stairs. Rotom Dex turned to Delia with question marks in its screen, “Change? You mean Ash isn’t going to leave in the clothes he is currently wearing?”

“That’s right,” Delia sighed fondly, “Ash decided on a more…badass look for his travels. You see, Rotom Dex, my son wants to become a Master of Dragon-types, and he insists that he look the part.”

Ten minutes would pass before Ash would return. Rotom Dex immediately made an intrigued noise.

Ash was dressed in a black turtleneck vest that hugged his muscular torso like a second skin, paired with a pair of equally skin-tight leather pants that made no hiding about his developed legs. His elbows and knees were protected under sturdy guards. He wore black leather fingerless gloves, and black steel-toed combat boots. His long hair was tied up in a low ponytail, and a white silk scarf wound loosely over his shoulders.

“That’s an interesting get-up, Ash,” Rotom Dex remarked, as it began taking photos of Ash from multiple angles.

_“I wanted something eye-catching and practical,”_ Ash signed, _“Dragon-types are arguably the most dangerous Pokémon on the planet. The least I can do is have some protection.”_

_“It’s your choice, Ash,”_ Delia signed back. She went over to a table, _“Here’s your backpack, I’ve packed lunch for you and Airavata. Also, I’ve wired two thousand Pokédollars to your trainer account.”_

_“Thanks, Mum,”_ the preteen took the back and slung it over his shoulders.

Delia then pulled her son into a tight hug, which he returned immediately.

_“Take care of yourself and Airavata, Ash,”_ Delia signed after pulling away, _“Don’t stress yourself too hard, and have fun.”_

_“I will, Mum. I’ll call you when I reach Viridian City.”_

_“You do that,”_ Delia nodded, _“And don’t forget to change your underwear every day!”_

Ash’s face exploded in red, shakily signing, _“I will, Mum.”_

Rotom Dex slid in, “You don’t change your underwear every day, Ash? That’s really unhygienic!”

_“Rotom Dex, it’s just a parental reminder,”_ Ash deadpanned, _“Of course I change my underwear every day.”_

“Comprehending new information…complete! I understand now, Ash!”

Delia chuckled, _“I know you’re in good hands, Ash. Now, I think you better get going if you want to get to Viridian by nightfall.”_

_“I will, take care, Mum.”_

Mother and son shared one last hug. Ash waved to her in farewell, before stepping out of the house into the open world.

Delia sighed, her son had grown up and was about to take on what lay before him. As a parent, she naturally worried for her baby, but seeing him grow and develop over the past two years eased those worries. She just hoped that he would be able to reach great heights with his dream and aspirations.

The future was uncertain, but she was going to support her son no matter what.

* * *

**To Be Continued.**

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Unfortunately, with exams literally days away, there hasn't been a lot of time I could use to write. I'm not sure when I'll be able to update this story and Way of the Aura, but once things have settled, I promise to get back into the swing of things. I appreciate your understanding on this.
> 
> So a few things before we wrap up.
> 
> As I probably may have mentioned before, I dislike Gary from the original series. I have no qualms against Ash curbstomping his adversary on their first battle as trainers. Also because I didn't want to spend too much time on that particular moment and have the chapter move along to more important events.
> 
> For Ash's outfit, I initially planned to have him wear something inspired by Cloud Strife's outfit from Final Fantasy: Advent Children. But an acquaintance advised me that it would look too out of place in the Pokémon world, and given Ash's present age. So I made some changes, removing the epaulet and black apron and replacing them with a white scarf, inspired from the male protagonist from the Diamond and Pearl games. Let me know what you guys think in the comments section about this, yeah?
> 
> So that's all from me for now. As usual, the standard protocol - your honest feedback and kudos are greatly appreciated, while flaming of any sort will not be tolerated.
> 
> Take care everyone, and cheers.
> 
> \- SilentGhostWriter2017


	7. The Road to Viridian

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ash sets out towards Viridian City, and it already proves to be an eventful day.

The first hour of walking along Route 1 outside of Pallet Town was uneventful. There were no trainers itching for a battle (at least, not yet), the weather was calm, and there was a gentle breeze blowing through, providing some coolness in the warmer summer day.

“So Ash, what do you intend to do today?” asked Rotom Dex.

_“I need to get to Viridian City, hopefully by the end of today,”_ Ash signed, _“I’m hoping I can catch a ride on the cross-regional buses that can take me to Vermilion City, and then I’ll hop onto a ferry to take me to Fuchsia City. I want to catch a Dratini in the Safari Zone.”_

Rotom Dex automatically began to scan, “Scan in progress…scan complete! Dratini, the dragon Pokémon. It was long considered a mythical Pokémon until recently when a small colony was found living underwater. It repeatedly sheds its skin as it steadily grows longer.” Rotom went back into social mode, “I suppose you want a Dratini simply because its a Dragon-type?”

Ash signed, _“You're right. Furthermore, Dratini is one of the only few Dragon-types in Kanto. I also hope that I can travel abroad to find more Dragon-types to put together a team that is worthy of taking on the different leagues and, perhaps one day, Champion Lance himself.”_

“Really ambitious!” Rotom remarked, “I can put together a list of air fare prices if you wish, Ash.”

_“Maybe later,”_ Ash signed back, _“I want to get a Dratini first.”_

Ash and Rotom would continue on for another half hour, when their peaceful trek was interrupted.

“Hey, you!”

Ash raised an eyebrow.

A young boy, probably no older than eight years of age, blocked his path. There was nothing remarkable about this child, if Ash wanted to be very honest. What he was doing out on Route 1 Ash had no idea, though if he recalled, schools were on their summer break, so maybe that was why?

“I challenge you to a battle!”

Ah, he got it now.

“Oh? A battle, you say?” Rotom piped in.

The youngster blinked at the talking Pokédex, but quickly focused on his goal, “I have my trusty Rattata with me! We’ve been training for years now! Nothing can ever beat it and me!”

‘We’ll see about that, kid,’ Ash thought to himself, accepting the challenge.

“Alright! Go, Rattata!”

Rotom immediately scanned the purple rat before it, “Scan complete! Rattata, the small mouse Pokémon. It bites anything when it attacks. Small and very quick, it is a common sight in many places.”

Ash released Airavata. Both the youngster and Rattata flinched at the by-comparison, towering draconic seahorse Pokémon, glaring down at the tiny rat with dark intensity that made the boy begin to second-guess the outcome of this reckless battle he had just challenged.

“Rattata, use-”

Ash put his hand behind his back, and made the signal for ‘Hydro Pump’.

Airavata built up a tsunami of water, and released it as a roaring geyser straight towards the Rattata. The purple rat had no time to dodge, and it was blasted away with the water, hitting a large tree trunk several metres behind the youngster. The trunk snapped, toppling the tree.

_“Airavata, that’s enough,”_ Ash signed.

The water stopped. The Rattata lay a few metres away from the fallen tree, unmoving and unconscious from the blunt force trauma by the geyser that carried it away.

“Rattata!” the youngster screeched, running off to his partner.

“That…was extremely fast,” Rotom remarked.

Ash shrugged, as he petted Airavata’s head. A pinging sound came from Rotom.

“Transaction complete! Two hundred Pokédollars has been wired into your account.”

If there is one thing that Ash appreciated, was how far technology has evolved. He wasn’t entirely familiar with how the League was able to keep track of every battle won or lost in the entire region, but the technology somehow aided this constant tracking, and had in hand in digitally wiring prize money from one account to another. It was efficient and hassle-free.

Seeing that the youngster was long gone, Ash returned Airavata into his Pokéball, _“Let’s continue on.”_

* * *

Two hours later, with the sun about to reach its highest point in the sky, Ash decided that it was the best time to find some shade under a tree and eat lunch. Sitting under a large oak tree, Ash dug into his backpack, pulling out a canister of Pokémon food pellets and the sealed bento box his mother had prepared for him. As a Water-type Pokémon, Airavata could eat manufactured Pokémon food, however it must contain seaweed and other marine plants that it would normally eat in the wild. Ash poured out a sizeable amount for his friend, and let him eat in peace.

They would spend an hour eating, before packing up and moving on again.

Passing a stream some fifteen minutes later, Ash thought, ‘Airavata could get some training here.’

It was important for a Water-type like Airavata to be able to hold its own against other Water-type Pokémon. From Ash’s judgement, it would be several more hours before he reached Viridian. Now was a good time for training.

“What are you doing, Ash?” asked Rotom Dex.

_“Fishing,”_ he signed back, _“I want Airavata to train for a while before we continue on.”_

From his backpack, Ash pulled out a foldable fishing rod and the canister of Pokémon food from lunch. He released his Seadra, _“Airavata, let’s get some training done, okay?”_

The Seadra nodded.

Over the course of three hours, Ash fished and Airavata battled every single Pokémon his trainer was able to reel in. The tally, as Rotom Dex counted, were fifteen Magikarp, six Poliwag, four Krabby, and one Staryu. Airavata formed a specific routine whenever Ash caught something. First, he would blind and disorient his target with a burst of ink (a technique trained over the two years since he was a Horsea), before blasting them away with either a Bubble Beam or Hydro Pump. Most did not put up much of a fight, though the Staryu was a notable exception. The starfish Pokémon tried to use Confuse Ray and Brine on Airavata, but the Seadra dodged the swirling ray of lights and blasted his opponent away with a powered-up Hydro Pump for good measure.

_“Good job, Airavata,”_ Ash signed, as the Staryu decided that this was a fight it couldn’t win and made itself scarce, _“take a good rest.”_

The Seadra was returned into his Pokéball. Ash kept away the food canister and fishing rod, and continued on down along the stream, with Rotom Dex hovering behind. If there weren’t any further disturbances, Ash estimated that they would reach Viridian by evening.

About another two hours of trekking later, Ash came across a Trainer Tip sign. These signs, just as their names implied, gave all kinds of useful tips to trainers crossing through the routes around the region. They were also an indication that civilisation was not too far off. Probably another hour or so of walking.

Leaving the sign behind, Ash passed through a river. There was a redheaded teenage girl, probably a year or so older than him, sitting by the riverbank and fishing. Ash briefly entertained the thought of challenging her to a battle, any income would be appreciated, after all. But the decidedly-foul look she had on her otherwise pretty features told him that approaching was a bad idea.

Again, he wondered if he should go up and tell her, through Rotom Dex, that there was a better fishing spot where he was at previously. But he ultimately decided not to.

Leaving the girl to continue stewing in her foul mood, Ash and Rotom Dex continued down the path. As expected, it took another hour of trekking to reach the boundaries of Viridian City. However, what he wasn’t expecting was for an Officer Jenny to intercept him.

“Halt! Who are you, and what is your purpose for entering Viridian City?”

Ash raised an eyebrow. As far as he knew, movement into cities was usually open and pretty fluid, why was this Officer Jenny stopping him from entering?

Still, she clearly wasn’t going to let him through unless he or Rotom Dex answered.

“This is Ash Ketchum, from Pallet Town. He is a trainer that just started out today. We are hoping to enter Viridian City so that we can check into the Pokémon Centre.”

Officer Jenny blinked, “W-What…are you?”

“I am Rotom Dex!” the hovering Pokédex did a little dance in the air, “Or more specifically, the prototype version of the Alolan Pokédex! I serve as Ash’s main form of identification and translator.”

“Translator?” Jenny asked.

“Yep! Ash here is mute, and only uses sign language to communicate. I translate for others who are not familiar with this particular form of communication.”

Jenny slowly nodded, “I see. Anyway, I hope you can forgive this inspection, things in Viridian City have been tense for the past few weeks.”

Ash raised his eyebrow, and signed. Rotom did the translation, “What happened, Officer Jenny?”

She pointed to a wanted poster pasted on the wall of the gantry, “There have been reports of two suspicious individuals stealing Pokémon throughout Viridian City. So far, we haven’t got a clear picture of who they are, so the entire city is on high alert. Even with increased patrols, we’re still no closer to catching these criminals.”

Ash instinctually put his hand around Airavata’s Pokéball.

“That’s scary…”, Rotom shivered, “But Officer Jenny, are we clear to enter?”

“Yes, you two are,” Jenny nodded, “My apologies for the delay, but we can’t take anything to chance. And to be fair, it is unusual to wear a scarf at the beginning of summer and to look as if you had stepped out of a violent video game, Mr. Ketchum.”

Ash shrugged and signed again.

“It’s how I want others to see me, Ash said,” Rotom translated, “Well, we’ll be off then!”

“Take care, you two. And remember, if you see any suspicious individuals, do not approach them and immediately call the authorities.”

Ash nodded, and Rotom saluted with its arm appendage. From there, they carried on into Viridian City.

* * *

Thankfully, there was a bus service that took passengers from the suburbs to the city centre. While Ash was easily capable of making the journey on foot, he wanted to get to the Pokémon Centre as soon as possible. Airavata needed to be given a clean bill of health for tomorrow’s journey towards Fuchsia City and then to the Safari Zone.

The ride was uneventful, save for the unsubtle stares from other passengers at his get-up and Rotom Dex sitting on his lap. He even heard a child ask her mother what he was wearing, only to be shushed and told quietly not to point at other people.

Alighting at the bus stop outside the Pokémon Centre, Ash beelined his way in. It was moderately-busy inside the Pokémon Centre, but thankfully there was no queue to speak to the Nurse Joy at the front counter.

As Ash approached, Nurse Joy looked up from her computer.

“Oh! Good evening, young man. How may I help you today?”

Ash signed, _“I would like my Pokémon healed, please.”_

Rotom Dex was about to translate for Ash, when Nurse Joy surprised them both by signing, _“Certainly! May I have your Pokéballs please?”_

Blinking, Ash barely remembered to hand over Airavata’s Pokéball. Rotom Dex verbalised their surprise, “Nurse Joy, I’m surprised that you know sign language!”

The Pokémon nurse chuckled, “And what are you?”

“I am Rotom Dex!” the Pokédex introduced itself, “I act as my trainer’s Pokédex and translator! Ash Ketchum here is mute, which is why he uses sign language to communicate. But Nurse Joy, you haven’t answered my question yet.”

“Nice to meet you, Rotom Dex!” Nurse Joy smiled, “And to answer your question, all healthcare professionals and police personnel in Kanto are required to be fluent in sign language. It’s part of our code of practice under League laws.”

“I see!” Rotom Dex did a little dance of comprehension, “Well, that makes my job easier! Ash will have no trouble communicating with you or Officer Jenny then!”

“That’s right,” Nurse Joy nodded, before returning to sign for Ash, _“It won’t take long. Why don’t you and Rotom Dex hang around for a bit? Your Pokémon will be good as new in no time.”_

_“Thank you, Nurse Joy,”_ Ash signed back.

_“Just doing my job, Ash.”_

Nurse Joy then called her assistant, Chansey, who transported Airavata to the back for the standard healing treatment. Ash went to sit down at one of the nearby sofas to wait for his friend to come back.

“Ash, I have an idea.”

_“What is it?”_

“Why don't you give Professor Oak and your mother a call, to tell them that you’re safely in Viridian?”

_“That’s a good idea. Do you have their phone numbers in your database or a call function?”_

“Unfortunately, I do not have a call function just yet. I am still a prototype, after all. My apologies, Ash.”

_“That’s okay, I’ll just use the video phone here.”_

Ash got up from the sofa and went over to the row of video phones next to the front counter. Only one person was using one out of the five available. Ash sat down in front of one, activating the call function, and punched his mother’s phone number. The screen visual switched to a graphic of a ringing telephone, with an accompanying dial tone.

After about ten seconds, the call connected, and Delia’s face appeared on screen.

“Hello? Ketchum residence.”

_“Hi, Mum. It’s me.”_

Delia’s face lit up, as she switched to sign, _“Ash! It’s good to hear from you! How are you doing so far?”_

_“I just arrived in Viridian City,”_ Ash signed, _“I’m currently in the Pokémon Centre. Airavata is being looked over by Nurse Joy right now.”_

_“Oh excellent!”_ Delia smiled, _“I’m so glad that you made it safely. How is Rotom Dex?”_

****

“I’m right here, safe too!”

_“That’s wonderful,”_ Delia’s smile grew, _“Now Ash, I presume you’re staying the night?”_

****

_“Yes I am, Mum. I’m leaving for Fuchsia City tomorrow.”_

****

_ “Alright, I won’t keep you long. Go have dinner, alright? And get a good night’s sleep.” _

****

_“I will Mum, I’ll call you again when I arrive at Fuchsia.”_

****

_ “Okay! I’ll talk to you soon, and don’t forget to change your underwear before you leave!” _

****

Ash quietly sighed in exasperation, _“I won’t forget. Bye.”_

_ “Bye!” _

****

The call ended.

“I guess it is a mother thing to always remind her child to change their underwear every day?” Rotom asked.

_“I appreciate it if you didn’t say that out loud,”_ Ash signed, taking a careful look to ensure no one was listening in, _“It can be embarrassing if someone overheard.”_

“Embarrassing? I thought that it was a nice gesture.”

_“Some might interpret it as a mother over-babying her child. The gesture is thoughtful, but unwanted. I know how to take care of myself, I wouldn’t have gone on this journey if I wasn’t able to.”_

As Rotom Dex contemplated this new perspective, Nurse Joy’s voice came over the intercom, “May Ash Ketchum come to the front counter, please?”

Ash got up from the seat and headed over to the counter. Nurse Joy placed a tray holding Airavata’s Pokéball down, ready for collection.

_“Your Seadra is all healed up. Just a good night’s rest and food, and it will be ready to take on the world!”_

_“Thanks, Nurse Joy,”_ Ash signed, taking Airavata’s Pokéball, _“Do you know how to get to the cafeteria? I presume virtually every Pokémon Centre has one.”_

_“Just go through that doorway,”_ Nurse Joy signed, before pointing to said doorway, _“Go down the hallway, and you will reach the cafeteria. As it is, dinner is being served right now.”_

_“Alright, thanks, Nurse Joy.”_

* * *

Pokémon Centre food would never be able to live up to the standard of a home-cooked meal prepared by his mother, but Ash wasn’t complaining. As a trainer on the road, he would have to rely on meals ready-to-eat pouches to prevent a gruesome death by starvation. Unlike the common perception that MREs were bland packets of sludge, they were nutritious meals meant to keep the person healthy and full. Taste-wise, they left something to be desired, but they were the best option for long journeys in that they won’t spoil easily. Pokémon Centre food, while much better in comparison, was going to be an irregular occurrence since there weren’t Pokémon Centres popping up all over the region, only in bigger towns and cities. And he had no idea when he was able to go home and eat his mother’s cooking again, so he appreciated any edible food available to him.

By the time Ash and Airavata finished their food, it was just past 8:30pm in the evening. The long journey to Viridian had tired out both trainer and Pokémon, so after putting away their trays on a return rack, Ash returned Airavata to his Pokéball and went out back to the front atrium. Nurse Joy was just seeing off a middle-aged woman when he approached the front counter.

_“Oh Ash, how may I help you?”_

_“I would like to book a room for the night,”_ Ash signed, _“Are there any vacancies tonight?”_

_“We do,”_ Nurse Joy, _“Let me just have you checked in, and then I’ll pass you your key.”_

The Pokémon nurse returned to her computer, and after a few moments, had registered Ash in and gave him his key.

_“The elevators are just through that doorway,”_ Joy signed, pointing to said doorway.

_“Thanks, Nurse Joy-”_

Ash’s sign was suddenly cut off when the sound of glass shattering reached their ears. He and Nurse Joy turned around just in time to see something fall to the floor from the glass domed ceiling above. The pair barely had time to react when that object exploded, releasing a thick cloud of gas that spread quickly and obscured vision.

‘What’s going on?’ Ash wondered worriedly.

Rotom Dex was freaking out, “That was a smoke grenade! We’re under attack!”

“Indeed you are,” came an unknown, female voice.

As the smoke began to part, two figures came into view. One was female, with long magenta hair styled so exaggeratedly in a swirl that Ash briefly wondered how much gel and wax she used every day to achieve the look. The other was male, with short blue hair and holding a rose for some reason Ash couldn’t fathom. However, what got Ash’s attention was the outfits the pair were wearing. They were wearing white uniforms, black boots, and their tops had a large capital ‘R’ painted in red.

Ash bit back a gasp. He remembered why those ‘R’s looked familiar. They were displayed prominently on the photos that took up the ‘Wanted’ poster on the gantry earlier.

‘Shit…these are the criminals that Officer Jenny was talking about,’ he realised.

The pair were reciting some kind of motto, though Ash couldn’t be bothered. His mind raced, Officer Jenny stressed during their earlier meeting not to approach these criminals and instead call the authorities. But the situation was far from what he envisioned. Ash never expected to have to face them straight on. There was no place to run and hide, and by the time he could contact Officer Jenny, the two criminals would already be long gone with all the Pokémon they had stolen.

If he was to protect the Pokémon here in the Centre, he would have to take things physically.

The two criminals, Jessie and James, as they introduced themselves during their motto, released their Pokémon – a Koffing and Ekans. They had a third Pokémon, a Meowth, which could actually speak English, shockingly, but it appeared more content to let its fellow Pokémon do the dirty work. Ash, in response, released Airavata.

Nurse Joy was shouting for Chansey to protect the Pokémon held in the recuperation ward and storage shelves.

“Ha! Ya think ya can save them all?” the Meowth cackled, “Those Pokémon are going to be ours!”

“Koffing! Use-” James started.

But Ash was quicker.

Using the remaining smoke as a cover, Ash made the signal for a special move Airavata knew. The Seadra fired blasts of ink straight at Jessie, James and their Pokémon, blinding them.

“W-What is this?!” Jessie screeched, clawing at her face.

“I can’t see!” James wailed.

Koffing and Ekans flailed about, trying to get the ink off their faces, giving Ash the chance to attack. Wrapping his scarf around his nose and mouth tightly, Ash charged forward, and grabbed the Koffing. In one smooth movement, he ripped the spherical Pokémon in two, releasing a cloud of toxic gases that he got out of the way of before he could accidentally breathe any in. Dropping the remains of Koffing to the floor, Ash grabbed Ekans by the body, and giving it no time to react, he tore the snake Pokémon into two, tearing apart muscle, scales and bones, and splattering blood across the floor. For good measure, Ash threw the top half to the floor and stomped onto the head to ensure the snake was truly dead.

It was then that Jessie finally managed to see again. She promptly screamed.

“No! Ekans! Koffing!” she then rounded on Ash, “You fucking monster! You-”

It was as if Ash was human no more. Instead, he became a dangerous dragon with no restraint left and thirsting for blood.

Before Jessie could even get another word in, Ash was already onto her. Swinging his leg up, his boot smashed into the woman’s jaw, shattering the bone and knocking out a good number of teeth. Jessie crashed to the floor. Ash grabbed her arm and kicked it, breaking the bone just like the jaw before it. He was just doing the same brutality to her legs when he felt something sharp latch onto his shoulder and back.

“Let go of Jessie, ya prick!”

Meowth unsheathed its claws and was about to slash Ash’s back open when he grabbed the offending feline Pokémon and pried it off. He turned towards Airavata, gave the signal for Hydro Pump, and tossed Meowth towards him. Meowth hit the floor, and before it could get up, was blasted with a powerful geyser of water. It struggled against the onslaught, desperately clawing against the water. But Airavata did not abate, and slowly cut off Meowth’s oxygen supply as it used more of its energy to fight a battle it couldn’t win. It would take a few minutes, but Meowth would eventually shuffle off the mortal coil by drowning on dry land. Once it had stopped moving, Airavata ceased the geyser. Gazing upon the drowned corpse of his enemy, the Seadra added insult to death by spitting a glob of ink over the Meowth’s face.

Meanwhile, James was not spared. By the time he got the sticky ink off his face, he was greeted with the sight of all three Pokémon dead, his teammate incapacitated on the floor, and an absolutely beast-like Ash stalking towards him like a predator cornering its prey. James tried to pick himself up and scramble away, but he would never make it to safety.

Ash was on James in a split-second. Limbs were dislocated and cleanly broken, James’ pelvis was crushed, and as a final act of brutality, Ash undid his scarf, wrapped it around James’ neck, and garrotted him until the criminal went limb from strangulation.

It was all over in a matter of ten minutes.

Undoing his scarf from James’ neck and wiping his boot on the floor to get rid of the blood, Ash turned back to Nurse Joy, and sweatdropped at the positively stricken look that the Pokémon nurse had on her face. With his own stoic look, Ash signed, _“Sorry about the mess.”_

* * *

Officer Jenny and an ambulance was called.

Paramedics rushed into the Pokémon Centre to tend to the two brutalised criminals and to bag the corpses of the three Pokémon. Ash would never forget the sight of one of the junior paramedics throwing up their dinner when they first laid eyes on the scene.

Officer Jenny went to interview Nurse Joy first, before she beelined towards Ash, who was told beforehand that under no circumstances was he allowed to leave until this entire debacle was sorted out.

“Nurse Joy told me that you were the one who attacked those criminals and killed their Pokémon. I need you to know what your intentions were in doing so.”

‘She doesn’t recognise me, maybe it's a different Officer Jenny,’ Ash thought to himself, before signing, _“I met another Officer Jenny before I arrived at the Pokémon Centre, who told me about the criminals that was on the city’s wanted list. I never expected them to actually attack the Pokémon Centre to steal all the Pokémon recuperating here. I couldn’t let them get away with such nefarious crimes.”_

Jenny immediately signed back, _“Kid, you should know that these two individuals are part of a criminal organisation called Team Rocket. They are very dangerous and the League has put a do-not-approach order for civilians. You could have been easily maimed or killed by taking on these two grunts.”_

Ash shrugged, _“Perhaps so, in normal circumstances. However, Officer, am I right to presume that these Team Rocket grunts usually attack with their Pokémon?”_

Jenny slowly nodded, _“Yes…that, or in large numbers to overwhelm their opponents. Why do you ask?”_

_“Simple, really,”_ Ash signed, _“These grunts, as you called them, probably do not think of using physical violence to get their way. They almost always rely on their Pokémon to do the dirty work for them. I have no qualms against physical violence to sort them out. I have an advantage they don’t have.”_

The nonchalant way Ash signed his response left Jenny feeling a bit nonplussed, _“That…may be so. But kid, you need to understand that Team Rocket isn’t just made up of these low-level grunts. What makes the organisation particularly dangerous is their higher-ups, or as the League calls them, Executives. They are highly-trained, heartless monsters who will not hesitate to kill to achieve their goals. So far, no one who has encountered these Executives have ever come back alive to describe their experiences.”_

That bit of information was new.

Let it be known that Ash was never cocky about his own skills. Unlike Gary, he always knew that there was someone better than him in the world. Ash had just never heard of these Executives before, and if Officer Jenny’s words were anything to go by, he would be absolutely stupid to challenge these monsters to a beat-down.

_“So what you’re saying is, if I see an Executive, I run in the opposite direction. But if I see a grunt doing something nefarious, I am within my legal rights to leave them injured and half-dead?”_

Jenny sweatdropped, _“I would like it if you just relied on the authorities…but knowing you, kid, you’re just going to use your fists or whatever you have on hand, won’t you?”_

Ash shrugged, _“I helped to neutralise the threat to Viridian City tonight. I’m not afraid to get my hands dirty to protect others. But I understand where you are coming from about the Executives. If I see anyone remotely appearing more competent than those two I just beat up, I will make a run for it.”_

_“I suppose that’s the best I can get out of you, is it?”_

Ash simply shrugged again, _“Violence gets my adrenaline pumping, especially if it is to save a greater number of people.”_

Jenny sighed, _“Don’t make it a habit. I’m pretty sure you saw that paramedic throw up?”_

_“And I’m sure they’ll get used to it,”_ Ash shrugged for the third time, _“If these Executives are half the monsters that you describe them to be, and the paramedic threw up at what I have done, how would they react to the aftermath of an Executive attack?”_

_“I…suppose you have a point,”_ Jenny conceded after a moment, _“Just stay out of trouble, okay?”_

_“I’ll see what I can do.”_

Seeing that their business was done, Officer Jenny wrapped up the interview and went to speak to one of her deputies. The paramedics had just left with the two grunts and the corpses of their Pokémon.

“You know, Ash, I have never expected that you were capable of such violent brutality…” Rotom Dex remarked uncertainly.

_“Rotom, it’s either I beat the grunts within an inch of their lives, or hundreds of Pokémon end up stolen. The former is something I can settle with my conscience, not the latter.”_

“There was so much blood though…” the Pokédex shuddered.

_“I rather spill the blood of my enemies than let the greater masses get hurt,”_ Ash signed nonchalantly, _“Which reminds, I need to call my Mum and Professor Oak. No doubt, this would make the late-night news, and I don’t need my Mum harping after me over my wellbeing.”_

Watching Ash head back towards the video-phones, Rotom Dex sighed in resignation, before trailing after its companion.

* * *

**To Be Continued.**

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Exams are finally over, so that means I can get back into the swing of things. 
> 
> So there's a couple of things we need to cover before we wrap up for today.
> 
> Just like what I said in Way of the Aura, Ash is not the kind of person to attack women for no good reason. The only times he would attack a woman is if she poses a threat to himself or his team, or the greater wellbeing of the masses is at stake. Ash may be prone to violence in this story, but as long as the person doesn't hurt him, his team, or the people around him, he would never attack anyone, regardless of gender, for no good reason.
> 
> The scene where Meowth dies actually stems from the planning stage of Way of the Aura. At the time, I didn't know if Meowth should be killed off alongside Ekans and Koffing, but I eventually just went with having him taken away alongside Jessie and James. Why I decided to kill off Meowth here was to set the scene for a darker story. The Silent Champion is not going to be as cheerful or fun-going as Way of the Aura is. There will be violence, blood, and death taking place throughout the story. Just wanted to put it out there first.
> 
> That's all from me for now. As usual, the standard protocol applies - your honest feedback and kudos are greatly appreciated, while flaming of any sort will not be tolerated.
> 
> Take care, and stay healthy.
> 
> \- SilentGhostWriter2017


	8. The Safari Zone, and a New Teammate

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ash departs for the Safari Zone, and encounters his second teammate.

‘They aren’t being very subtle about their staring,’ Ash thought to himself as he ate his breakfast.

It wouldn’t be wrong to say that the entire cafeteria had their eyes on him in one way or another. When the Pokémon Centre was attacked by the Team Rocket grunts, the civilians either fled or took refuge in their rooms to not get caught in the crossfire. Once the ambulance and Officer Jenny arrived, however, they started to return out of curiosity.

A few sharp-eyed individuals noticed the blood on Ash’s boots and his scuffed-up knuckles. It didn’t take much brain-work to make the connection.

Gossip spread through the centre like wildfire. The evening news report only confirmed everyone’s suspicions that the trainer with the white scarf was the one responsible for three murdered Pokémon and two Team Rocket grunts that were being rushed to the ER for treatment, with no guarantee of their full recovery or worse, survival.

Ash paid no further attention to the blatant staring at his little two-seater table by the window, his thoughts focused on the subsequent video-calls he made to his mother and Professor Oak.

As it was, the pair were just watching the evening news reporting on the incident when Ash called. They were, naturally, beside themselves with worry that he had been in the epicentre of the attack. Ash calmly signed that he was fine. In fact they should be more worried about the two grunts that may not make it through the night, he continued in his sign. That in itself prompted a second round of frantic mollycoddling from both individuals, who tried to get Ash to understand that most individuals didn’t go around beating up criminals and murdering their Pokémon.

Again, Ash remained unrepentant, merely repeating the same things he assured the Officer Jenny who took his statement the evening before. In the end, Professor Oak and Delia saw that there was no moving Ash on the matter. Before hanging up they begged him to exercise restraint during his travels. Ash replied that he’ll see what he can do. He’ll make no promises, especially if his or Airavata’s life was threatened.

Back in the present, Ash finished up his breakfast, ending with his fifth cup of tea. Admittedly, he had developed quite a bit of a tea-drinking habit ever since he started learning under Professor Oak. While the revered researcher favoured coffee, the taste was too bitter for Ash, even with sugar added. So the next best option was tea.

Furthermore, tea helped to soothe his throat whenever it got too dry. With his voice-box essentially rusted over from disuse, it wasn’t uncommon for Ash to feel a scratchiness in his throat area for days at a time. Water only helped so much, but with tea, it helped smooth out the scratchiness after a day or so.

Ash wondered if he was going to develop a tea addiction after a while, but shrugged it off. In the end, he enjoyed his tea, so it didn’t matter.

* * *

_“We hope to see you again!”_ Nurse Joy signed, a clearly-forced smile gracing her lips.

Ash merely nodded, turning around and brisk-walked out of the Pokémon Centre, with Rotom Dex hovering behind. It was evidently clear that he had overstayed his welcome, not that he wanted to stay any longer than was necessary. Vermilion City awaited him.

With a ticket in his pocket, Ash stopped by the PokéMart to stock up on a few days’ worth of food. While travelling by bus between cities meant that days were cut from travel time, many of the regular services didn’t provide food on board. Lest he put a hole in his account by buying a ticket for a more up-scale ride, Ash needed to provide his own form of sustenance that would cover him and Airavata for the day-long journey.

Once again, it was MREs for him, and canned food pellets for Airavata.

Ash paid for his purchases, and left for the city’s central bus terminal. He had about two hours until the bus arrived, so he had to make good pace.

Even though it was a weekday, the bus terminal was busy with commuters from all walks of life around the region. It was quite a large building too, with at least three dozen boarding bays for bus lines that serviced not only the city, but the entire region too. It was actually a bit of a challenge to find the right boarding bay for the bus line to Vermilion City, even with directions from passenger service officers. By the time Ash found the right bay, there was already a sizeable queue waiting for the bus. Ash and Rotom Dex got in line, and waited.

Twenty minutes later, a large tour bus rolled up to the boarding bay. The doors hissed open, and a conductor came out. She stamped everyone’s tickets before allowing them to board. She gave Rotom Dex a look as she stamped Ash’s ticket, but said nothing.

Ash found a pair of seats near the front of the bus, and claimed it for himself.

“That woman was staring at me funny,” Rotom Dex remarked.

_“I don’t think it’s often that people see a floating electronic device following a preteen who looked like he stepped out of a video game,”_ Ash signed, _“You have to admit that there are plenty of sights that are often unexpected for others.”_

“Comprehending…comprehending…understood! Some sights are unexpected for others! I get it now!” Rotom did a little twirl in the air.

_“Good to see that you’re constantly learning,”_ Ash signed, before the doors slid shut with another loud hiss.

The driver got into their seat, and started the engine, a low rumbling noise reverberating through the vehicle. The bus pulled out of the boarding bay, and joined the queue of buses leaving the terminal that particular hour. Ash settled in for the long journey ahead.

* * *

The ride to Vermilion was uneventful. Ash watched the scenery change from urban centres, to suburbs, to rolling fields, hills and greenery. Occasionally, the bus would make pit-stops at rest stops where passengers could temporarily disembark to stretch their limbs, use the washroom, or feed themselves and their Pokémon. Ash used these rest stops to feed Airavata and hose him down to keep his scales from drying up.

Based on the estimates given, the journey would take the whole day to reach Vermilion. Given that he left Viridian approaching ten in the morning, it would be quite late by the time the bus reached Vermilion’s bus terminal, even more so by the time he reached the Pokémon Centre. Ash wasn’t certain if the city bus services would still be operating at such a late hour. Hopefully there were taxis still roaming the roads should that happen.

The hours passed, and the sun went up and down. By early nightfall the bus had reached the outskirts of Vermilion City. At around 9pm the bus joined the busy flow of traffic into the city centre, and half an hour later, it arrived at the bus terminal.

Ash disembarked with the passengers, and looked for a local bus service that could take him to the Pokémon Centre. Luckily, he was able to board the last bus just before it left. Granted, he had to run, but it ultimately saved him money and time.

Thankfully, there was no queue at the front counter when Ash arrived.

“Good evening, how may I help-”

The Nurse Joy did a double-take when she saw Ash. At the back of his mind, the trainer guessed that the Viridian Nurse Joy must have told her sisters throughout the region of what had happened. He just hoped that this particular Nurse Joy would remain professional and not kick him out for essentially ridding Viridian of two criminals who had terrorised the city for some time already.

_“Good evening,”_ he signed, _“I would like a room to spend the night in.”_

Nurse Joy stared at him for a brief moment, before nodding and producing a room key. She checked him in without a further word.

_“Enjoy your stay,”_ she signed, in a clear dismissal.

Ash took his key and went towards to the elevators. He was dead tired, as was Airavata. They needed rest without any interruptions.

* * *

Breakfast was a standard affair, as was the unsubtle staring from other trainers and patrons. Even more than a full day after the incident in Viridian, people still continued to eye him with suspicion and whisper quietly to themselves. Ash, once again, paid no attention, though he wondered if the starers had better things to do other than talk about his violent tendencies.

Ash sighed to himself, he never understood people sometimes.

Finishing up his breakfast, Ash checked out of the Pokémon Centre, and departed for the second leg of his journey. Fuchsia City was across the Kanto Bay from Vermilion, and a ferry ride was arguably the fastest way to get there. Granted, it would be more expensive than taking a bus, but he wanted to get to Fuchsia as soon as possible.

Hopping onto a local bus, Ash arrived at the Vermilion port. While Saffron City was the biggest city in Kanto, Vermilion was where a majority of the region’s economy came in and out. The port, once a tiny harbour, had grown exponentially over the decades as the world opened up and trade between regions intensified. Eventually, it was not only container ships that came in and out of the Kanto Bay. With increased wealth, overseas tourism came into demand from the local population. Cruise companies capitalised on the demand, and it was expected that at least one cruise ship would leave Vermilion port on a voyage to the great beyond per day.

Still, local transportation lines were also able to cash in on the flow of traffic. Besides the ferry line between Vermilion and Fuchsia, other lines operated services to the Sevii Islands and the Orange Archipelago off the coast from Kanto. It was an efficient two-way service that brought convenience to the people and protected the natural environment of the marine Pokémon who made the ocean their home.

Ash bought his ticket at the ferry terminal for the 10:30am ferry to Fuchsia. The vessel was an aged, but hardy thing that clearly had been travelling between the two cities for years, possibly even decades. On the plus side, it was clear that she was well-maintained, and still had plenty of seaworthy years left in her hull.

Ash took a seat near a doorway which allowed passengers to wander up and down the open deck. He’ll wait until the ferry’s moving to get up and enjoy the ocean breeze.

At 10:30am sharp, the ferry pulled away from the terminal, and chugged across the bay for the hour and a half journey to Fuchsia.

Ash spent most of the time outside on the deck, staring off into the bay in quiet contemplation. He had one purpose of visiting Fuchsia City and the Safari Zone – to find a Dratini and train it until it became a formidable part of his team, just like Airavata. It was after that was done did Ash have no clue on what to do next.

As powerful as Airavata was and, hopefully, Dratini too, having only two Pokémon on one’s team is often a risky move unless one was absolutely sure that they could handle whatever hurdles that life put in front of them. That, or being extremely cocky and building oneself up for a traumatising fall to the ground.

Ash, in particular, did not want to go for the latter. He had to build up his team to even be considered a threat to other trainers. And given Kanto’s pitifully-small pool of Dragon-type Pokémon, he’ll have to travel overseas to find more Dragon-types willing to join the team and take on his dream together.

As much as Rotom Dex will be a great help in putting together the best air fares, there was no denying that travelling by plane was by far the most expensive form of transportation, no matter how one looked at it. Ash would probably have to win at least ten battles against trainers to fund a ticket to neighbouring Johto. And there was no point flying over to Johto when the pool of Dragon-types there was just as small as in Kanto.

Ash briefly considered asking his mother to fund his tickets, but quickly dismissed the idea. Even though Professor Oak wasn’t paying his mother peanuts for being his research assistant, what kind of son would he be if he made her fund his travels? She still needed to take care of herself. He wasn’t going to lower himself down to Gary’s level.

If anything, to show that he was an independent trainer capable of solving his own problems without resorting to familial connections, Ash would have to secure his funding by himself.

Ash decided, as he stared out into the open water, that this was going to be a long-haul journey. Unlike Gary, who was probably on his way to his second or third Gym badge to later take on the Indigo Conference, Ash was going to slowly build up his team, train them, and once they were ready, take on a League and show to the world their strength and prowess.

But first, he needed to get to the Safari Zone.

A muffled roar shook Ash out of his thinking. About several hundred yards away from the ferry, a large Gyarados could be seen rising out of the water. Ash thought to himself, as long as that Water-type monstrosity kept its distance, he’ll be able to get to Fuchsia in one piece. Otherwise, it was a good thing that Airavata was strong enough to carry him to dry land, and the fact that he could swim.

* * *

The ferry made it to Fuchsia harbour undisturbed. Ash disembarked, and hopped onto a free shuttle bus that took travellers from the harbour to the Pokémon Centre downtown. There, he checked into a room where he would spend the next couple of nights (depending on how long it took to find a Dratini), went to grab lunch, before going to book a ticket for a direct bus ride to the Safari Zone.

Interestingly, this Nurse Joy at the front counter was much nicer than her sisters in Vermilion and Viridian. Ash chalked it up to her being less judgemental about his admittedly brutal treatment of the two Rocket grunts, something he appreciated in the short amount of time he interacted with her.

Aside from him, there was a family of four who were visiting the Safari Zone that particular afternoon. And once again, Ash endured the curiosity of the two young children who asked their parents about this strange boy dressed in black, had a white scarf and a strange electronic device hovering behind him. Ash spared them a look when the parents shushed the children and mouthed apologies for their behaviour.

Thankfully, the bus arrived before things could get seriously awkward.

The Safari Zone was about an hour’s drive out of Fuchsia City. Ash let the family alight first before disembarking himself. The bus dropped them off in front of a building that appeared to be inspired from tropical architecture, and a massive wooden gate running out from the side of the building. A large sign reading ‘Kanto Pokémon Safari Zone’ stood above the gate.

Entering the building, Ash spotted the family talking to an elderly man whom he presumed was the warden of the Safari Zone. The family eventually moved away from the front desk towards a set of glass doors that presumably opened to the Safari Zone itself. Seeing his turn, Ash stepped up to the front desk.

“Good afternoon, young man!” the old warden smiled jovially, “Are you here to take on the Safari Challenge too?”

_“Yes, I am,”_ Ash signed.

Seeing the man’s face morph into confusion, Rotom Dex fulfilled his role, “Good afternoon, mister! My name is Rotom Dex, and I am Ash’s translator. He is mute, and not everyone understands sign language. As it is, he is saying that he wishes to participate in the Safari Challenge.”

“Ah! I see,” the warden nodded, readily accepting the presence of a talking electronic device hovering near Ash, “My apologies, young man, but I never got around to learn sign language during my youth. A deep regret of mine, to be honest. Anyway, I shall go through the rules of the Safari Challenge with you. For every one hundred Pokédollars, you are allowed three hours in the Safari Zone. You are not allowed to battle any of the Pokémon unless they personally accost you for a battle. Here are thirty Safari balls,” the warden produced a tray of said special Pokéballs, “any Pokémon that you capture will immediately be sent here to the front office. You’ll be able to collect them at the end of your three hours. Also, you will receive a notification to return once your time is up. Do you have any further questions?”

Ash shook his head.

“Wonderful,” the warden grinned, “Now, can I interest you in renting equipment for your time in the Safari Zone?”

Ash signed, and Rotom translated, “What do you have on offer?”

“We have fishing rods, bait, and nets for any Bug-type Pokémon you might encounter. We also rent bicycles at fifty Pokédollars for each three-hour timeslot,” the warden replied.

Ash signed again, and Rotom said, “Ash already has a fishing rod, and he doesn’t need a net since he has no interest in Bug-type Pokémon. He would, however, like to have some bait and a bicycle.”

“Alright, each can of bait is ten Pokédollars.”

Ash paid for two cans and the bicycle. Without further waiting, he wheeled his rented bicycle through the glass doors into the expansive, open wild area known as the Safari Zone.

The entire park consisted of three interconnected areas, each remarkably large. Ash figured it was a good investment to rent a bicycle. He wouldn’t be able to clear the entire Safari Zone in three hours by foot.

Ash cycled into the Area 1, straight towards the H-shaped lake in the middle. Putting his rented bicycle to the side, Ash sat down by the lake’s shoreline, and took out his fishing rod. Lining the hook with some of the bait he bought, Ash casted his line, and waited.

Forty-five minutes would pass. Ash ended up catching five Magikarp, all of which he immediately released back into the lake. The haul included ten Goldeen and Seaking each. Most were released back into the lake without a moment’s thought, however, a select few of the more aggressive ones provided a good workout for Airavata. That being said, he had yet to see a Dratini at the end of his fishing line.

Granted, Dratini were among the rarer Pokémon in the Kanto and Johto regions, but Ash sincerely hoped that he would be able to catch one and add it to his team before his three hours were up. He did not want to spend the entire day blowing his money to sit at a lakeside with a fishing rod.

His fishing rod tugged, and the line was pulled further into the water. Ash quickly drew the line in, and just like that, his thoughts were answered.

Out popped out of the water, was a Dratini.

‘Alright, calm down, you can do this, Ash,’ he thought to himself as excitement threatened to cloud his judgement, ‘Just grab a Safari Ball…’

Ash reached for one of the green camouflage balls, only to see Dratini unhook itself from the line and jump back into the lake with barely a ripple.

“Oh dear…I really thought you got it,” Rotom Dex whistled in disappointment.

Ash sighed, putting the ball to his side, and picked up his fishing rod. The waiting game has restarted itself.

* * *

Ash would spend another fifteen minutes by the Area 1 lake, fishing up another three Magikarp and four Seaking, before deciding to give up. Keeping away his fishing rod, Ash mounted his bicycle and headed off for Area 2, which had three smaller lakes instead of one large one. The process repeated itself – Ash would sit by the lakeside, line his fishing rod, cast it, and wait.

In all three lakes he attempted at, Ash caught a total of fifteen Magikarp, one Psyduck, seventeen Goldeen and twenty Seaking. The only one who benefited from this particular haul was Airavata. He battled the Psyduck, six of the Goldeen and four of the Seaking to submission, forcing his opponents to flee back into the lakes for their continued safety.

Unfortunately, not one Dratini made itself known to Ash, who would give up after an hour.

With less than an hour to go until his time was up, an increasingly-disheartened Ash cycled into Area 3. Just like Area 1, there was one large lake, sitting near the western side of the area. Just a short distance away from an abandoned, derelict house that was literally crumbling to pieces, Ash noted as he cycled past, the lake presented itself as the final window for Ash to add a Dratini to his team.

Once again, a waiting game followed. Ash would spend half an hour fishing up eight Magikarp, a Slowpoke, six Goldeen and five Seaking. Airavata got his third workout that day, easily beating all of the more-aggressive Pokémon and sending them packing.

Ash was truly beginning to lose hope when his fishing rod tugged. At this point, he had all but accepted that the chances of his next catch being a Dratini was barely above negligible. As such, Ash drew in his line, thinking it was going to be another Magikarp…

…only for a Dratini to breach the surface and land with a soft thud on the lakeside.

Ash’s eyes bugged out and Rotom Dex made a gasp of amazement. This Dratini was clearly Shiny, given its pink scales instead of the typical blue. However, its sheer size and length was what caught Ash off guard. A typical Dratini was just under six feet in length. This Shiny was easily eight feet in length, who knows more. Its size was easily twice as large as a regular Dratini, and the three-pointed fins at the side of its head were elegantly curved, almost as if they were miniature wings.

But perhaps the greatest detail that Ash noticed was the look of absolute ferocity the Dratini was giving him and Rotom Dex. Normally, Dratini were timid Pokémon who would flee from anything that approaches them. This Dratini, however, did not show any indication of fear. Its eyes were steely and hard as a rock, its stance taut as if anticipating a vicious fight, and it made low-toned noises in an attempt to intimidate Ash and Rotom Dex.

Ash barely heard Rotom go into scan mode, “Scan complete! This Dratini is a Shiny, and female. She has the ability Shed Skin, and the locked hidden ability of Marvel Scale.”

Somewhere in his stupor, Ash remembered the warden’s words. He could only battle the Pokémon if they accosted him with the intention of battling. Seeing that this Dratini was making no move to escape, he slowly signed, _“Do you want a battle?”_

“Dra!”, followed by a sharp nod.

Very well, Ash thought to himself. He knew that getting his second teammate was not going to be easy. But if Dratini wanted a battle, she was going to get one.

Ash unhooked Airavata’s Pokéball from his belt, and released his starter. The large draconic seahorse popped into existence in a flash of light.

_“Airavata, we are being challenged. Get ready for a battle.”_

The Seadra laid sight on his opponent, his eyes narrowing. Dratini’s intimidation aura seemed to intensify as she prepared for her opening move. Through his education with Professor Oak, Ash knew what was coming.

He made the signal for both an ink blast, and a Hydro Pump.

Airavata blasted a large blob of ink just as the Dratini surged towards him. The incoming rush of energy blew away some of the ink, but a good portion of it splashed all over the Dratini’s head. The serpentine Dragon-type made distressed noises, flailing about to rid herself of the ink that was obscuring her vision. Airavata took the distraction to fire his Hydro Pump, pushing Dratini back several feet.

However, it had the expected consequence of washing away the ink blotting Dratini’s face. Now that she could see again, she reared its tail back and swung it in a Dragon Tail attack. Ash barely had the time to sign the signal for ‘Dodge’ when the tail struck Airavata in the side, sending it flying several metres out into the lake. Shaking off the attack, the Seadra shot back towards dry land and fired off a Bubble Beam attack. With multitudes of bubbles shrouding Dratini’s head and causing disorientation with the constant bursting and popping, Airavata was given a short window of opportunity to both headbutt his opponent and fire another Hydro Pump with increased accuracy thanks to Laser Focus.

The next fifteen minutes was a back-and-forth between Airavata and Dratini. Attacks were volleyed and dodged, both Pokémon tanked several hits, and for a while it seemed that a stalemate was afoot. Ash could rightfully guess that this Dratini was not only born powerful, but had trained herself to stand firm against predators and enemies hoping for an easy target.

Nonetheless, the prolonged battle has begun to tire both Pokémon. Ash remained hopeful that Airavata could come up on top, but he knew that some strategic changes need to be made if he wanted Dratini on his team.

As the Seadra dodged a Dragon Breath attack from his opponent, Ash signed to him, _“Combine attacks. Hydro Pump and Bubble Beam.”_

Combining attacks wasn’t an easy move for most ordinary Pokémon. This particular skill was cultivated over the years through relentless training, and even then Airavata didn’t always get it right all the time.

A Hydro Pump and Bubble Beam combination results in a geyser of fast-moving water framed with a swirling cyclone of super-charged bubbles. While this was the first time Airavata actually executed the move, it has been theorised that should this attack hit a Pokémon dead-on, it would result in severe disorientation at least, or a one-shot KO at the most.

In this particular scenario, the result was somewhere in between. The combined attack hit dead-on, but as Dratini was far stronger than most of her species, it would never had resulted in an immediate knock-out. Instead, the large serpentine Dragon-type fell into a semi-conscious state that teetered on the precipice of blacking out.

This was the chance that Ash waited for.

Pulling out one of the Safari balls, Ash signalled to his partner to cease his attack, and threw the ball straight at Dratini. The Safari ball opened, and Dratini was sucked inside. Then came the most tensest five seconds of Ash’s life, as the ball shook once…twice…thrice…

…before locking with an audible click.

Ash literally sagged to the ground in sheer relief and repressed joy, as did Airavata.

No words could describe the happiness the young trainer experienced right at that moment. An important milestone in his journey to become a Dragon-type Master has just been accomplished, at just before his timeslot was up. If it weren’t for knowing that his throat would seize up in pain, he would have whooped in delight.

The Safari ball holding Dratini flashed in a burst of light, and disappeared. Ash remembered that any Pokémon caught in the Safari Zone were always teleported back to the front office to be collected once the timeslot was up. Why this was the case he didn’t have the faintest idea, but he couldn’t bring himself to care.

Recalling Airavata into his Pokéball, Ash mounted his rented bicycle and cycled back to the front office in record time. As he entered through the glass doors, he noticed the warden seeing off the family of four that came before him.

“Ah! There you are, young man,” the warden said as he turned to face Ash, “I was just about to call you back. I see that you only caught one Pokémon. Well, you can’t always get every single Pokémon that you want.”

Ash signed, a deadpan look on his face, which Rotom Dex translated, “I came here only for one Pokémon. And I got what I want. Enough said.”

The warden shrugged, “Suit yourself, young man. Now, let’s see what you caught today.”

He picked up the Safari ball and opened it. Even Ash had to admit the look of pure shock that immediately morphed the warden’s face when Dratini materialised was camera-worthy. The poor elderly man lost his tongue completely, unable to vocalise his rampaging thoughts about the larger-than-normal, Shiny Dratini in front of him. Never in his entire life running the Safari Zone had he ever laid eyes on such a magnificent specimen.

Dratini looked about in confusion for a moment, before the realisation dawned upon her. The young man standing before her, dressed in black with a white scarf, and partnered with a Seadra, had captured her in a Safari ball. In a moment of weakness, she had lost the battle.

Dratini expected an outcome like this, challenging this man to a battle. She could have easily unhooked herself from his fishing rod and dove back into the lake. Yet she knew, that even though her life of freedom has come to an end, she chose to challenge this man to a battle because he was unlike the other humans who trespassed into her home turf. It could have been his confident posture, his muscles, or his steadfast expression. If she was to be captured by a trainer, this man was the one.

Ash regarded his latest catch with cordial neutrality. He approached Dratini, and signed, _“Hey there, my name is Ash. I caught you, which means I am your trainer now. I hope we are able to work together. I want to become a strong Dragon-type Master, and hopefully, you can trust me enough so that I train you to become the strongest Dragonite anyone has ever faced. Heck, with a bit of luck, you might be able to surpass Champion Lance’s Dragonite. So what will it be? Can we work as a team?”_

Dratini had more or less made up her mind even before Ash started signing, so she made no hesitation in nodding her assent.

Ash did not smile, but his eyes brightened just a barest bit.

_“I promise to not let you down.”_

Dratini’s eyes remained hard, but her mouth tilted upwards in something akin to a smirk. She liked Ash, and she knew he would never go back on his promise.

Things were about to get really interesting, she thought to herself.

* * *

**To Be Continued.**

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So not much from me this time round, apart from a small heads-up.
> 
> Ash's Dratini is special, and not just because she is a Shiny and much larger than a typical specimen of her species. When the time comes for her to evolve into a Dragonair and then a Dragonite, she will undergo an unusual transformation into something unlike the typical appearance of her evolution stages. I won't spoil what she will look like until the time comes, but I will say that Dratini is far from ordinary.
> 
> I'll wrap things up with the standard protocol - your honest feedback and kudos are greatly appreciated, while flaming of any sort will not be tolerated.
> 
> Take care, and stay healthy.
> 
> \- SilentGhostWriter2017


	9. Another New Teammate

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ash leaves Fuchsia City to attend to a request for help from an old friend of Professor Oak. Along the way however, something happens that turns the flow of events in a slightly different direction.

Back in his room in the Pokémon Centre in Fuchsia City, Ash approached his newest team member, getting her attention with a gentle touch to her luminescent scales. Dratini turned to her trainer, head cocked in acknowledgement, waiting for his communication.

_“Dratini, how would you like a name?”_

The serpentine Dragon-type cocked her head, making a noise of confusion.

_“I don’t want you to keep calling you by your species name,”_ Ash signed, _“You are your own Pokémon, a unique being with strengths and weaknesses. I want to know you as an individual, and a name sets you apart from others. So how about it?”_

Dratini would spend a moment considering, before nodding her head.

_“Wonderful. Now since you’re a Dragon-type, I believe that you should have a draconic-sounding name, or a name that is associated with dragons,”_ Ash signed, before falling into deep thought, _“What about Dalinda?”_

Immediately, Dratini shook her head.

_“Alright, then what about Ryoko?”_

Dratini seemed to consider this for several moments, but ultimately shook her head.

_“Fine, how about Astrid?”_

“Dra!” that got an immediate response from Dratini, who nodded her head vigorously.

Ash nodded, _“Astrid it is then.”_

* * *

There wasn’t really much to do in Fuchsia City, other than the Gym where Poison-type Leader Koga and his daughter Janine battled against trainers in pursuit of the Soul Badge. And since Ash had no desire to take on a Pokémon League just yet, there was little reason for him to stay in Fuchsia.

He did, however, decide to stay one more day in the city, returning to the Safari Zone where he spent another three-hour slot training Airavata and Astrid, having them battle against any wild Pokémon that attempted to have a go at them. Both the Seadra and Dratini sent all their opponents scarpering off for their lives, and got a strenuous, but good workout by the end of it.

Both Pokémon were tired by the time Ash left the Safari Zone, so it was straight back to the Pokémon Centre for a spot of recuperation by Nurse Joy.

As Joy’s assistant Chansey wheeled Airavata and Astrid off to the healing station, a phone rang on the front desk. Joy went to pick it up, “Hello, Fuchsia City Pokémon Centre, this is Nurse Joy speaking.”

Ash watched with a little bit of curiosity.

“Oh! Professor Oak, how may I help you?”

That got Ash’s attention.

“Ash Ketchum? Yes, he’s actually at the counter right now. He just had his Pokémon sent off to be healed,” Nurse Joy continued, “You want to speak to him? Yes, I understand. Alright, I’ll connect you to the video phone.”

The Pokémon Nurse turned to Ash, “Professor Oak wants to talk to you. I’ve connected him to video phone number three over there.”

_“Alright, much obliged.”_

Ash went over to the aforementioned video phone booth. He answered the call, and Professor Oak appeared on the screen.

_“Ash, my boy!”_ the researcher signed, _“How has your time in Fuchsia City been?”_

_“I’m doing well, Professor,”_ Ash signed back, _“I’m planning to leave tomorrow, actually. There isn’t much here for me to do.”_

_“Ah yes, that,”_ Oak nodded, _“Actually, I have a request from an old friend that needs help as soon as possible. ”_

_“What happened?”_

_“You might have heard of him, Bill Montgomery. He used to be an assistant of mine until he decided to pursue his own brand of research. It’s actually been several years since we’ve last met,”_ Oak explained, _“He called about an hour ago, saying that he is stuck in some kind of…costume, I think? Anyway, he’s been stuck for several hours already, and he needs someone to free him.”_

_“I…see,”_ Ash signed, _“Where can I find this Bill Montgomery?”_

_“He stays at his lighthouse at the end of Route 25,”_ Oak replied, _“I know it’s an extremely_

_ long distance, so I’ll send over Kadabra who make the journey shorter.” _

_“Teleportation?”_

_ “Exactly. Though you might still need to do some walking. Kadabra is not as young as she used to be, and she can only teleport between points of civilisation where the energy from people is palpable enough for her to sense. At most, she can take you to Cerulean City, which is the closest city to Bill’s lighthouse.” _

_“Got it, will you be sending her over now?”_

_“In a few minutes,”_ Oak replied, _“I presume that you need time to pack?”_

_“Yeah,”_ Ash assented, _“Perhaps give me five minutes?”_

_ “Sure thing, Ash. I’ll let Nurse Joy know to tell you when I send Kadabra over.” _

_“Thanks Professor, I’ll see you soon.”_

_ “Take care, my boy.” _

With that, Professor Oak’s image disappeared from the screen, and the call came to an end.

Stepping out of the booth, Ash went back up to his room to pack his things. When he returned, Nurse Joy called him to the front counter. She returned Airavata and Astrid’s Pokéballs to him, and a few moments later, Chansey came out with a trolley holding a single Pokéball.

“Ah! That must be the Kadabra Professor Oak sent over.”

Ash picked up the Pokéball, and opened it. Out popped a yellow, humanoid Pokémon holding a silver spoon. Kadabra looked around for bit, before turning to Ash. Immediately, the young trainer felt a psychic connection establish itself inside his mind.

**“Friend Ash, I have come to take you to Cerulean City.”**

_“Hey Kadabra,”_ Ash signed, _“Glad you made it safely. I’m ready to go.”_

** “Take my hand, Friend Ash. And make sure your companion stays close. I have never teleported with an electronic device before, and I do not want to take any chances.” **

_“Alright,”_ Ash replied, _“Rotom, hold onto my hand.”_

“This is so excited, Ash!” Rotom gushed, “I’ve never travelled by teleportation before!”

_“Hopefully it won’t be too bad an experience.”_

Ash took hold of Kadabra’s free hand, and held Rotom Dex’s appendage with his other hand.

** “Hold on tight.” **

Kadabra concentrated, and a glowing aura of rainbow lights enveloped the trio. As they popped out of existence, Nurse Joy waved to them, “Have a good trip!”

Three seconds later, the trio reappeared in a plaza in downtown Cerulean.

Even though he had known Kadabra for several years now, this was the first time Ash experienced being teleported from one place to another. To put things simply, it was a surreal experience. It felt as if he was being squeezed through a needle, and then spat out into existence with little warning. There was no pain throughout the process, but it was more than unusual enough for Ash to feel a little off-kilter when his feet touched solid ground again.

Rotom Dex was in a similar predicament. His electronic face had swirls over where his eyes were, and he was hovering haphazardly presumably out of the electronic-equivalent of dizziness.

“Bzzt…teleportation…not…fun…”

‘Huh, so psychic moves negatively affect electronic devices,’ Ash thought to himself, ‘But then again, I’m not surprised.’ He turned to Kadabra, _“Thanks a lot, take care on the way back.”_

** “You too. Be cautious, for challenges may pop up when you least expect it.” **

Kadabra gave one last nod of acknowledgement, before teleporting back to Oak’s corral. Ash turned to Rotom and signed, _“Let’s stop by the PokéMart, I’m not sure how long we’ll be on the road for.”_

* * *

Routes 24 and 25 were arguably the least-developed routes in the region.

While other major routes between big cities were either punctuated with smaller towns or rest-stops for the weary traveller, these two routes that served the north-eastern part of Kanto saw little change since they were established centuries ago.

Back in the early days, there was some trading activity along the north-eastern coast. Unfortunately, the north-eastern coast was also notoriously rocky, and storms often meant that many ships met their untimely ends against the rocks. A rudimentary lighthouse was built, and it did save more ships from getting wrecked.

However, any chance of the northeast becoming a major trading centre was thwarted by the port opening up at Vermilion City. The convenient location, safer entry and exit out of Kanto, and easier access to the wider world meant that any activity in the northeast came to an abrupt end.

The old lighthouse was subsequently abandoned, and fell into disrepair. It wasn’t until Bill came into the picture was the crumbling lighthouse rebuilt into its modern incarnation.

Back to Ash and Rotom Dex, their journey through Route 24 was mostly uneventful. There were plenty of trainers waiting along the route to jump out on unsuspecting travellers. Airavata and Astrid sent them all running away, a combination of their sheer sizes and power decimating their opponents with relative ease. Ash’s bank account had a healthy fill by the time the first day of travelling came to end.

As he was still far reaching the only town along Route 24, Ash camped out in the open, rolling fields under the starry night sky. It was a far cry from the comfortable setting of the Pokémon Centre, but Ash quickly became acclimatised to it. There was something beautiful about watching the constellations and the occasional shooting star on a field of wild grass, the cool wind blowing through and a warm fire crackling nearby. Airavata and Astrid seemed to enjoy the outdoors too, though their favourite past times would always be frolicking in any sizeable body of water, without a single doubt.

However, the idyllic times came to an abrupt end just short of Gardenia Town at the end of Route 24.

Ash and Rotom Dex were just at the outskirts of the small town when shouts reached the young trainer’s ears.

“Ash, I sense a disturbance up ahead,” said Rotom.

_“Let’s investigate,”_ he signed, _“Someone might be in trouble.”_

The pair hurried in the direction of the shouting. When they came into the scene, however, Ash’s horror and anger went through the roof.

“You stupid piece of useless shit!” a teenage trainer with wavy blue hair and sunglasses propped over his temple spat, kicking at a Pokémon that was undoubtedly a Charmander, “You can’t even beat a Poliwag! What kind of starter are you?! You are absolutely hopeless, nothing worth the air you fucking waste!”

Rotom shuddered, he had never heard such vile, hostile language used by a human against a Pokémon before. The horrific sight of bruises and bleeding cuts, tail bent at an unnatural angle, the flame at the tip dangerously small – if Rotom had a human stomach, he would have vomited.

Ash had no inclinations of nausea. He simply acted on instinct.

Dashing forward, Ash pounced onto the trainer, knocking him onto the ground. Without giving the abuser a chance to recover, Ash smashed his boot onto his face, fracturing the facial bones and knocking the sunglasses away. What followed was a beatdown so savage and bloodthirsty that it made Rotom almost physically sick. The offending trainer was never able to defend himself or get a punch in. Ash completely brutalised him, pulverising bones and dislocating joints as if he was a ragdoll. The whole ordeal lasted ten minutes, and by the time Ash stood back up, not even out of breath, the abusive trainer was no more than hamburger patty on the ground, bleeding liberally from multiple wounds.

Rotom shakily hovered over, “A-Ash…why did you go so far…?”

Ash unrepentantly signed, _“People who abuse their Pokémon are on par with the filthiest scum that waste the precious oxygen they take from this world – serial killers, rapists, paedophiles, the like. They deserve the worst punishment for committing crimes against the innocent. They do not deserve to get away scot-free.”_

Turning away from his travelling partner, Ash slowly made his way over to the cowering Charmander. It was deliberate, he didn’t want to traumatise the poor thing further. In Charmander’s mind, Ash was an unknown. For all means possible, he could be here simply to continue the job of his trainer. As Ash knelt down to his level, Charmander winced, expecting more blows or kicks to come.

Ash made the smart move to not touch Charmander right away, instead signing, _“Hey there, I’m not here to hurt you. Are you alright?”_

Slowly, the Fire-type baby reptilian Pokémon opened his eyes. The preteen kneeling down before him had a gentle expression on his face, far from the hate-filled snarls of his Damian, who was lying motionless on the ground a few feet away. Slowly, Charmander nodded.

_“Your tail appears to be broken, and your bruises need urgent medical attention. Can you trust me enough to take you to the Pokémon Centre in Gardenia Town?”_ Ash signed.

Charmander remained silent for a moment, thinking about it. This unknown person saved him from Damian. Even if his loyalty to his trainer continued to hold, the fiery reptilian Pokémon was smart enough to know that Damian could have easily killed him in his anger. He was still in excruciating pain, he couldn’t move much without jolts of searing agony battering his bruised body. Having someone heal his wounds…

…he would very much like that.

Charmander nodded.

_“Alright,”_ Ash signed, _“But before we go, there’s something I need to do.”_

Getting up, the preteen unhooked Astrid’s Pokéball and released her. Charmander stared in curious wonder as the Shiny Dratini burst into existence. Astrid turned to her trainer, expecting a command or order.

_“Astrid,”_ Ash signed, his expression grimly dark, _“The foul, despicable, abominable disease of a human patty lying before us has committed an unforgivable crime. He has abused his starter Pokémon, almost killing it in the process. I am leaving it up to you to decide what we should do to this monster.”_

Turning away from the Dratini, Ash returned to the Charmander. Kneeling back down, he gently picked up the small fiery reptilian, taking extra care to not jostle the fragile starter Pokémon and further aggravate his injuries. Ash pulled Charmander into his chest, deliberately shielding him from the view behind.

All Charmander heard was a loud cry, followed by a blinding blast of orange light that was thankfully shrouded by his saviour’s chest. The sound of flesh sizzling and breaking down echoed through the air as the light grew brighter behind Ash. Thirty seconds would pass, before the light dissipated.

Ash turned around, finally letting Charmander see the aftermath. Where Damian previously laid, was just a patch of blackened dirt. Bits of what appeared to be inorganic bone fragments dotted the epicentre, literally all that remained of his former trainer. Even his sunglasses were now just tiny pieces of plastic and darkened glass, scattered amidst the bone fragments.

Using his boot, Ash covered the carbonised patch with fresh dirt to remove all evidence of the cremation. He kicked the bone fragments and remnants of the sunglasses into the nearby field, where the tall grass hid any incriminating remains from human eyes. Within a few minutes, it was as if the entire confrontation had never happened, and Charmander’s former trainer had disappeared without a trace.

Ash withdrew Astrid back into her Pokéball, and turned to Rotom, who understandably had a shell-shocked expression from the whole ordeal. The preteen simply jerked his head in the direction towards Gardenia, and brisk-walked down the path. Rotom eventually followed, still looking decidedly disturbed.

* * *

“Welcome to the Pokémon Centre! How may I-”

As the Nurse Joy who runs the main Pokémon healing and recuperation centre in a small town like Gardenia, she doesn’t often see things that are beyond her usual scope of work. In such a small urban setting, she was more likely to see cases of Pokémon who suffered minor injuries, either from battling or simple daily accidents, and are brought in by trainers or their families. These Pokémon are tended to very quickly, and are usually discharged within an hour.

So to see a preteen boy dressed as if he had stepped out of some action movie come rushing into the centre, trailed by what looked like a levitating robot, and carrying a Charmander that looked as if it had been through hell and back took the wind right out of her sails in an instant.

The levitating robot further stunned the stupefied nurse by actually speaking, “Nurse Joy, we need your urgent help! We found this Charmander, badly hurt on Route 24.”

It was a half-truth. Ash reminded Rotom to not mention the part where he basically murdered the fiery reptilian’s former trainer and cremated the body. Even though Rotom was still disturbed by the whole incident, given Charmander’s pitiful state, he agreed to go along with the plan.

Despite the whole surrealness of the situation, Nurse Joy took another look at the Charmander and sprang into action.

“Chansey! We have an emergency case on our hands! Urgent operation right now!”

The Egg Pokémon rushed out with a trolley and took Charmander from Ash’s arms. Without further delay, the injured Fire-type was rushed into the operating theatre, with Nurse Joy following close behind. With nothing more to do other than to wait, Ash headed for a nearby magazine rack, picked one out, and sat down on an adjacent sofa to pass the time.

* * *

Several hours would pass, before Nurse Joy finally remerged from the operating theatre, sweat matting her forehead. Putting down the magazine, Ash hurried over to her, Rotom following close behind.

_“Nurse Joy, how is Charmander?”_ Ash signed.

_“He will need at least two days’ worth of bed-rest, but other than that, he will be fine,”_ Nurse Joy signed back, before her expression turned serious, _“Now, I need to know how you found Charmander on Route 24. Am I right to presume that he is not yours to begin with?”_

Ash shook his head, signing, _“We just found him on the side of Route 24, injured and battered. There was no sign of his trainer anywhere. We don’t know if Charmander got separated, or if he was abandoned.”_

Nurse Joy nodded, _“Thank you. As it is, we can trace who is Charmander’s trainer. Once a trainer receives their starter Pokémon, they are immediately registered with the League.”_

The Pokémon healer went over to her computer at her front desk, and booted up a programme. A few minutes of pressing keyboard buttons, entering details and opening a trainer profile later, Ash finally learnt the full name of Charmander’s former trainer.

_Damian Wilson._

But what got Ash’s attention was the little bar of text below Damian’s profile picture. It read, in capital letters, “DECEASED”.

Nurse Joy sighed mournfully, “A young life taken far too soon.”

‘Not soon enough,’ Ash thought to himself vengefully.

“Must have been a wild Pokémon attack. They are quite rare, but not impossible,” Joy remarked, before switching to sign language, _“You did the right thing, bringing Charmander here as quickly as possible. Especially given the current weather situation.”_

Ash looked out towards the doors. The sky had been clear and blue when he brought Charmander in, but now it was an ominous, angry grey, occasionally lit up with a flash of lightning.

_“If Charmander hadn’t been found for another few hours, he most definitely would not have survived the storm that is about to take place.”_

Ash felt his dark mood worsen. In all likelihood, Damian would have left Charmander, half-dead, on Route 24 with no visible means of help. The storm would have arrived, and snuffed out the life before anyone could rescue him. It was abandonment, only ten times worse.

If Ash had any sliver of regret for killing Damian, he most certainly had none now.

Rotom came forward, “So what will happen to Charmander now, Nurse Joy?”

Despite still being a little nonplussed by the talking electronic device, the Pokémon nurse gave her honest response, “By League laws, if any Pokémon is released or their trainer is unable to care for them, they will be returned to the wild.”

Ash knew right away that he had to intervene. Even if his meeting with the fiery reptilian Pokémon had been brief so far, it didn’t take much intuition to know that Charmander would not be able to survive on his own in the wild. Having been hatched solely to be placed under the care of a human, Charmander would have developed none of the survival instincts to sustain himself in an unforgiving environment. Ash wasn’t surprised if Charmander died less than a week after being released in the wild.

_“Nurse Joy,”_ Ash signed, _“Can I adopt Charmander?”_

Blinking in surprise at the sudden request, it took a moment for the nurse to sign back, _“You have a legal right to. However, that will depend on Charmander’s decision whether to accept you as his new trainer or not. You will have to wait until he wakes up before you can ask him.”_

_“Very well,”_ Ash nodded, _“If it is okay, may I stay by Charmander’s side until he wakes up?”_

_“You may,”_ Joy signed back, _“But you must be quiet. Other Pokémon are recuperating in the same room. It would not do them an ounce of good if they were disturbed by loud noises.”_

* * *

Inside the dimly-lit ward for recovering Pokémon, Charmander stirred from the receding anaesthesia that had put him under while the operation was taking place. With it, came the residual pain that ensured the return of consciousness to the prone Pokémon.

With a tremendous amount of effort, Charmander sat up, and wearily looked around. His mind was still hazy from the anaesthesia, but the memories of the past hours filtered through like out-of-focus images.

Damian attacking him, screaming those horrid words. Someone tackling Damian away and beating him up brutally. That same person holding him close to their chest, shielding him from the blinding orange light. Damian disappearing, just charred dirt where his former trainer previously laid. Charmander remembered being carried to the Pokémon Centre, then being wheeled into a room where darkness followed.

The Fire-type was conflicted. On the one hand, he still maintained loyalty to Damian, his trainer. But…trainers didn’t hit, kick or punch their Pokémon. Yet at the same time, he couldn’t even beat young Pokémon, not even a Poliwag. Did he deserve the beatings? But then, did he deserve the fact that he almost died from Damian’s hands before that unknown man came along and saved him? And what happened to Damian? He saw the man beat his trainer to the ground, but he didn’t see what happened next other than that blinding flash of orange light, and the charred spot on the ground where Damian previously laid.

And perhaps more concerningly, what was going to happen to him now?

As Charmander ruminated over the questions piling on top of one another, the door opened. In stepped Ash and Nurse Joy, quietly making their way to Charmander’s cot while not disturbing the other recuperating Pokémon.

“Charmander?”

The fiery reptilian turned to the two humans.

Ash knelt down, and signed, _“Hey, my name is Ash Ketchum. That’s my name, and I brought you here. How are you feeling? Better, I hope.”_

“Char…” Charmander made a noise of acknowledgement and nodded. Despite the residual pain, it was nothing compared to when Ash first found him.

“Charmander,” Nurse Joy gave him a sad look, “I have some really bad news for you. Your trainer, Damian Wilson, is dead.”

Dead? Was that what happened to Damian? Did this man, Ash Ketchum, kill Damian? Charmander thought to himself, his conflicting emotions starting to rise.

Nurse Joy took his silence as the cue to continue, “As a result, you have been released, and are effectively free. You are no longer registered under Damian’s name.”

That prompted the latest question that Charmander had no clear answer to, what was going to happen to him now?

“We are legally required to release you into the wild within twenty-four hours. I can contact the Safari Zone near Fuchsia City where the Warden can find a safe place for you to stay. However, Mr. Ketchum here has an alternative proposal for you.”

Charmander turned to Ash.

_“I’m willing to adopt you,”_ the preteen signed, getting straight to the point, _“You have the great potential to become a fearsome Charizard. I want to become a Dragon-type Master, surpassing even the Champion of Kanto and Johto himself. Having a Charizard on my team would not only show the world how powerful we are, but you will be revered and respected as the fighter you will become.”_

Reverence, respect. Charmander liked the sound of that, to be honest. Damian always said that he would never amount to anything. But Ash…Charmander knew that this was possible. This trainer, known as Ash, had the drive, strength, and resolve to actually see that promise through. Now that he thought about, Damian was all about bragging, showing off, and preening his ego. His former trainer inflated his self-worth, hiding his pitiful, true self behind exaggerated claims and boasts.

Ash though, Charmander recognised power when he saw it. Ash had no reason to brag or boast, his power was all natural and cultivated. Ash was everything that Damian wanted to become, but would never be able to achieve (partly because he was dead). And here was an offer to become a powerful, feared fighter being presented to him on a silver platter.

It didn’t take much for Charmander to nod.

_“Wonderful, welcome to the team, Charmander.”_

* * *

**To Be Continued.**

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As mentioned previously in my latest Harry Potter fanfic, 'Intrigued', I will be returning to my Pokémon stories until sometime in end-January.
> 
> I know it has become quite a trope or dare I say, cliché, for Ash to have a Charmander on his team in many canon rewrites of his journey, but I don't think many stories show Damian actually being killed for his horrific abuse of Charmander. Again, it's partly to do with my vengeful muse, and wanting to be a little different from the normal standard of dealing with the bastard.
> 
> It's no secret that the next chapter will be focusing on character-of-the-day Bill, but what was a brief moment of epic proportion in canon will be expanded into something extremely important for Ash in his journey to become a Dragon-type Master.
> 
> Also, I would like to give a special shout-out to ShinyHunter136 for suggesting the name 'Astrid' for Dratini.
> 
> That's all from me for now, as usual, your honest feedback and kudos are greatly appreciated, while flaming of any sort will not be tolerated.
> 
> Take care, and let's hope for a slightly better 2021.
> 
> \- SilentGhostWriter2017


	10. The Seventh Monarch

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ash journeys to Bill's lighthouse.

Charmander spent the rest of the day and the next in the recovery ward to finish his recuperation. Once the bandages came off, Nurse Joy gave Ash an empty Pokéball, which he used to “capture” Charmander and officially add him to his team.

As with Airavata and Astrid, Ash gave Charmander a nickname. They went through a few, before settling on the name ‘Chase’.

Chase was still relatively young, as Ash discovered. So when he stopped for meals and training sessions during the one-day journey along Route 25, Ash made the Charmander go easy on the physical exertion. Ash quickly found out, however, that once he peeled back the layers, Chase was a very headstrong Pokémon. The Charmander would often push himself far more than what he was capable of at present. He even challenged Airavata to a battle in what Ash perceived was an attempt to show his new trainer that he was willing to work hard and show that he was a reliable team member.

Realising that Chase was not going to take ‘no’ for an answer, Ash instructed his starter to not go overboard in this mock-battle. Needless to say, Airavata wiped the ground with Chase. When training ended and lunch was prepared, Ash came over to his newest team member, who was, understandably, sulking at his loss.

Ash tapped the fallen log that the Charmander was sitting on to not startle him. When Chase turned to him, he signed, _“Chase, do not think for a second that you are weak. Airavata has been training for over two years now, and as far as I know, Damian didn’t really physically train you that much, did he?”_

Slowly, Chase shook his head, affirming Ash’s conclusion.

_“That’s what I thought. Realistically, Chase, you won’t be able to take on a Pokémon that has much more experience than you have. But that does not mean you are useless. Damian might have drilled that constantly into your head, but I will tell you, up front, that what Damian said is wrong. You do not need to prove to me that you are capable. Once I see potential, I will never give up until I see that potential fulfilled. I am not Damian. I do not set unrealistic expectations. I will train you in ways that are natural and beneficial for your growth. I will guide you, and we’ll work together as a team. Are you okay with that?”_

“Char…” Chase nodded.

_“Alright, now come join us for lunch, yeah?”_

It took a bit more coaxing, but Chase eventually relented. Leading him back to the camp, Ash sat down next to Rotom and Astrid, the latter having finished her food and was now dozing on the ground. Chase felt something approach him from behind. He looked up, and realised it was Airavata.

“Sea…”

Chase blinked. The Seadra gently pushed a bowl of food towards the Charmander with his tail.

“Sea.”

Chase nodded after a moment, “Char…”

Just like a parent would for their young child, Airavata kept watch as Chase ate his food, occasionally using his tail to wipe away bits of pellet that got stuck around the Charmander’s mouth. Watching the entire interaction from the side, Ash nodded in satisfaction, before returning to his own MRE.

* * *

“Given our current GPS location, we should be arriving at Mr. Montgomery’s lighthouse within the next fifteen minutes.”

As Ash and Rotom reached the tail-end of Route 25, the landscape became noticeably different. Where there was previously open fields and hills, was now replaced by rocky terrain and mountains. Ash had to do a bit of trekking and climbing to get over the fallen rocks and boulders that blocked the path from previous landslides that weren’t properly cleared away. The sun had also almost disappeared below the horizon, forcing Ash to use a flashlight to keep himself centred on the path.

Finally, at just after seven in the evening, the lighthouse came into view in the distance. It was perched on the end of a cliff, its rotating lights punctuating the growing darkness at regular intervals. Behind the tower itself and what appeared to be a stone wall reinforced by buttresses that surrounded the tower, was a two-storey cottage, which Ash presumed was where Bill resided in.

As the preteen approached the imposing lighthouse, the wall piqued his curiosity. Upon closer inspection, he realised that every alternate piece of stone was an engraving of a Pokémon. Using his flashlight, he was able to make out a Charizard, a Kingdra and a Dragonite.

‘Interesting…but what are the odds that the first three I am able to make out are the final evolution forms of my current team members?’ Ash wondered to himself.

Deciding to push that thought away, Ash moved away from the wall towards the front door of the cottage. Despite its rustic exterior, the presence of a very modern, high-tech doorbell momentarily caught Ash off-guard, but he quickly rationalised that modern technology was something easily up Bill’s alley.

Without further waiting, Ash pressed the button.

Something akin to a loud gong being hit reverberated over the land, startling Rotom.

“I do know for a fact that doorbells do not sound like that!”

Suddenly, an unfamiliar voice echoed, “Identify yourselves.”

Ash turned to Rotom, who knew what to do next, “Good evening! My name is Rotom Dex, and this is my travelling companion, Ash Ketchum! Ash here is mute, and therefore cannot identify himself by speaking. We’re here to see Bill Montgomery, who requires Ash’s assistance according to the revered Professor Samuel Oak.”

Silence followed for a few moments.

“Please stand where you are, and do not move,” the voice spoke.

Ash raised an eyebrow, when a small pair of doors opened on the doorbell’s surface. A metallic arm extended from the device, with what appeared to be a small camera attached at the end. A flat, horizontal beam of light shot out of the camera, and travelled down the whole length of Ash’s body. The arm then retreated back into the doorbell, and the doors closed.

“Identity confirmed. Please come in.”

The front door of the cottage opened on its own accord. Ash and Rotom entered, and the door closed behind them. At first, the interior was completely shrouded in darkness, leaving no clue of what was inside. Then, all of a sudden, lights turned on as if sensing the preteen’s presence. Just like the doorbell, what appeared to be a surprisingly modern sitting room filled with all kinds of electronic gadgets came into view. However, what caught Ash’s attention was what looked like a large Pokémon that resembled a horseshoe crab at the other end of the room.

‘A Kabuto…but…how?’

Rotom immediately went into Pokédex mode, “Kabuto, the shellfish Pokémon. While widely thought to be extinct for tens of thousands of years, it is possible to resurrect one through a fossil. However, some claim that they have encountered living specimen, but no physical evidence of such specimen have ever been documented.”

Then, to both Ash and Rotom’s surprise, the Kabuto seemed to actually talk, “Wait! I’m not actually a Kabuto.”

“A-A Pokémon that can speak?!”

Ash shook his head, _“Rotom, I think this is Mr. Montgomery. Professor Oak did say that he was stuck in a costume.”_

“Oh…” Rotom sweatdropped, “I see. So, um, are you actually Bill Montgomery?”

The “Kabuto” appeared to nod, “That’s me, indeed. Ash, could you come over here and help me out of this costume? It’s been a couple of days already.”

Ash hurried over.

“There’s a button under the front pair of legs here,” Bill gestured to the small silver button, “I realised that a Kabuto’s legs are too short to reach it.”

Ash found the button, and pressed it. Stepping back, Ash and Rotom watched the costume come apart in different pieces. An average-built man in his early thirties stepped out, taking a huge breath that was saturated with relief.

“Thank you so much, Ash! I was beginning to worry that I’ll be stuck in that costume forever!”

Ash had one question, _“Mr. Montgomery, why were you in the costume to begin with?”_

“Ah, well, you see,” Bill went into presentation mode, “As you might know, Kabuto are believed to be extinct. But even so, I firmly believe that Kabuto have hearts too, just like every living creature on this planet. So I created and put on that costume, in an attempt to grasp what they think and feel while they were still alive.”

_“You can understand what Kabuto think and feel just by putting on a costume?”_

“Well…I had hoped I would make some starting progress, but any inkling was overshadowed by me getting stuck inside,” Bill admitted, “That being said, I hadn’t had a proper meal since I got into that costume. Fancy anything?”

_“I’m fine with anything, Mr. Montgomery.”_

“Call me Bill,” said the man, “My last name is too much of a mouthful. Speaking of which, I think you should contact Professor Oak. You can use the PC over there, while I go whip something up for the both of us.”

_“I’ve eaten not too long ago, so I don’t need too much.”_

“More for me then!”

Bill went off down a hallway which Ash presumed led to a kitchen. Leaving Rotom to explore the rest of the room, Ash headed over to the PC, booted it up, and sent a video call request to Professor Oak. A few seconds of dial tone later, and the screen booted up the video feed on the researcher’s lab as the call connected. Ash sweatdropped as he watched his teacher eat a hotpot over a Bunsen burner.

“Hello Ash! You caught me in the middle of eating dinner. Sorry, I can’t use sign language as one of my hands is currently occupied. How have things been?”

_“I just reached Bill’s lighthouse,”_ Ash signed, _“And I helped him out of his costume as requested.”_

“Oh good!” Professor Oak beamed, taking a bite of mushroom, “How is he, by the way?”

_“He hasn’t eaten anything solid in the time he was stuck in the costume. He’s currently making something for himself and I.”_

“Poor chap, but at least the matter’s resolved. It’s quite late now, actually, so why don’t you spend the night at Bill’s lighthouse?”

_“I don’t want to intrude…”_

“Nonsense!” Oak waved his free hand dismissively, “Bill will appreciate the company! He hasn’t had many visitors recently, so it would be a lovely change of atmosphere for him. Also, I think you can learn quite a bit from him about his branch of research.”

_“Alright,”_ Ash nodded, _“Shall I call you when I return to Cerulean?”_

“That would be most appreciated,” Oak replied, “Oh by the way, did anything interesting happen on your way to Bill’s lighthouse?”

_“Well…I got a Charmander on my team now.”_

The noodles that the researcher was about to eat slipped off his chopsticks and splashed back into the soup, “Ash…you caught a wild Charmander?”

_“Not caught, adopted,”_ the preteen corrected, _“His former trainer…didn’t make it out of a wild Pokémon attack alive. Rotom and I found Charmander near Gardenia Town along Route 24. He was not in good shape, so we brought him straight to the Pokémon Centre for Nurse Joy to fix up.”_

“I see. Poor thing, it is always difficult for a Pokémon to witness their trainer dying. I presume Charmander is healing under your care then?”

_“That’s right. I’ll do my best to raise him in his former trainer’s place.”_

“Make sure you do that, Ash. Now, I won’t hold you back any longer, plus I need to finish my dinner. We’ll talk again soon, yeah?”

_“Yeah, take care, Professor.”_

“You too!”

The call ended.

“Ash! Dinner’s ready!” came Bill’s voice from the sitting room.

Ash headed back, where Bill stood by a small dining table with two plates of steaming-hot omelette rice topped with ketchup. One portion was noticeably bigger than the other, unsurprisingly so. When one hasn’t eaten solid food in days, no portion is too big.

“I hope you like it, Ash. It’s an old recipe from my mother.”

_“To be very frank with you, Bill, any home-cooked food is better than the MREs they sell at PokéMarts,”_ Ash signed, sitting down and digging in.

Bill laughed, “I don’t blame you, Ash. They don’t really put much effort or variety in those MREs. During my short stint as a trainer, I quickly grew bored with the pouches and decided that if my whole life was going to be swallowing that kind of standardised mush, being a trainer was not worth it.”

_“And you became a researcher as a result,”_ Ash deduced, _“If you’re willing, Bill, can you tell me what do you specialise in?”_

“I’m glad that you asked, Ash!” Bill exclaimed, in the midst of a mouthful of food. He swallowed, before continuing, “As I mentioned earlier, I hoped to discover whether I could experience a Pokémon’s thoughts and feelings by becoming them, in a sense, through costumes. Obviously, my experience with the Kabuto costume was not ideal with oversights on design, but I am confident that future attempts will yield results. Alongside that, Shiny Pokémon is a field of research that has always fascinated me. There are still so many questions regarding Shiny Pokémon that we simply do not have the answers for. Like, what makes a Shiny? Is it their genetic makeup? Or is it external factors like the environment? It doesn’t help that Shiny Pokémon are among the rarest specimens of living creatures on the planet. According to my calculations, we would only find one Shiny out of a population of at least ten-thousand.”

Ash was in deep thought, ‘Bill is really into Shiny Pokémon. How will he react to the fact that I have two on my team though?’

“So anyway, I’ve been rambling for too long. Tell me about yourself, Ash. How has being a trainer been for you so far? Have you caught many Pokémon yourself?”

_“I haven’t actually been a trainer that long, not even a month if I’m not mistaken,”_ Ash signed, _“And I’ve only caught three Pokémon. I’m not a generalist or someone who throws Pokéballs at anything that moves. I want to become a Dragon-type Master, and I want to have a close relationship with my Pokémon, not someone who catches Pokémon for the sake of catching Pokémon.”_

Bill’s eyes took on an interested gleam, “Oh? Dragon-types you say? May I perhaps see them?”

Ash shrugged nonchalantly. He just hoped that Bill wouldn’t have too extreme a reaction when he saw Airavata and Astrid.

Getting up from his seat, Ash unhooked Chase’s Pokéball and released him. The young Charmander looked around curiously at the new environment he was in.

“A Charmander, quite an expected starter for someone who wants to be a Dragon-type Master,” Bill remarked.

_“Chase isn’t my starter, to be honest,”_ Ash signed, piquing the researcher’s interest again, _“It’s a long story, which I’ll tell you later. Let me show you my actual starter.”_

The preteen unhooked Airavata’s Pokéball and released him. Bill’s eyes went comically wide as the Shiny Seadra materialised into existence. Airavata turned to the researcher, eyes narrowed. He wasn’t sure why this unknown person was staring at him so weirdly. He hoped he didn’t have to attack.

“A-Ash - ”

_“And here is my final Pokémon,”_ Ash took out Astrid’s Pokéball and released her. Bill’s jaw literally fell open at the behemoth of a Shiny Dratini that appeared before him.

“A-A-A…”

_“Bill, are you okay?”_

No further words came out of the researcher’s slackened jaw. Ash completely understood the floored look, but he didn’t expect for Bill to keel backwards and crash onto the floor in a dead faint.

He simply had no words for this unexpected turn.

* * *

“Ash, I will say it again and again, as many times as possible, you are the greatest friend I have never had, and I am forever indebted you.”

The preteen sweatdropped, as did Rotom. Once he had Airavata revive Bill with a Water Gun to the face, the researcher literally begged him to let him do some tests and examinations on his Pokémon. After giving his tentative assent, Bill essentially pounced onto Airavata and Astrid with a look of pure hunger, as if he was a starving man presented with an all-you-can-eat buffet. (Incidentally, the omelette rice had been forgotten and was growing cold.)

Airavata remained impassively neutral, almost bored even, as Bill took swaps from his scales and mouth. Any bits of old scales were carefully taken off and stored in zip-lock bags for subsequent DNA analysis. Astrid was a bit more…unsettled about this creepy man poking and prodding at her scales and her wing-like fins, muttering incoherently as he took down notes on a notepad that he pulled from somewhere. Bill thought it was a pity that Astrid wasn’t due to shed her skin for about another month at least, for apparently the old skin carried a lot of valuable information preserved within the fibre. When Ash signed that he was more than willing to mail Astrid’s old skin to him whenever it was ready, Bill literally pounced onto the preteen, bubbling his thanks and eternal gratitude for moving his research so much further than he could have ever dreamed of.

Not used to physical hugs other than from his mother and Professor Oak, Ash awkwardly petted the older man’s back. Watching the entire scene unfold, Chase looked on with curiosity. Airavata was unbothered, and Astrid was still a bit wary of the creepy man who was now clinging onto her trainer as if he was the human incarnation of Arceus himself.

She really didn’t understand humans at all.

“Ash, I simply must repay you for all the help that you have so graciously given to me this evening. It can be anything – money, favours, whatever! Just name it and I will give to you!”

The preteen really didn’t want to be given anything in return for what he thought was just a small gesture. But seeing Bill’s manically determined expression made it abundantly clear that the researcher was not going to take ‘no’ for an answer.

For a few moments, he considered the possibilities. Money sounded attractive. After all, he could use whatever sum Bill gave to him to finance his airfare tickets to foreign regions, thereby allowing him to build up his team. But at the same time, the idea of taking money from Bill didn’t sit right with Ash. With that possibility a no-go, Ash thought of something that he wasn’t sure if Bill was able to achieve. But there was no harm in asking, was there?

_“Bill…I’m not sure if this is possible, but I wish to have my roster increased.”_

One could literally see the question marks flickering over Bill’s head, “Increase your roster? Why would you want that? I have plenty of money, or-”

Ash shook his head, and signed again, _“I can legally carry up to six Pokémon on my team. Any more than that and they will be sent to Professor Oak’s corral. I would only be able to see them again if I switch them out for someone on my team at the Pokémon Centre. I…don’t want that. I want my Pokémon to experience my journey by my side, not through fragmented moments of being switched out. As I said earlier, I want to be a Dragon-type Master, and to do that, I have to foster strong relationships with all my Pokémon. If not, they might not respect me as a trainer, since they might think I’m merely using them for my own needs. That’s something I want to avoid. Dragon-types are notoriously difficult to earn their respect, and once it’s gone, it’s gone. I would not be surprised if a Dragon-type would think nothing of eliminating me simply because I am not a person worth respecting. That is the last thing I want to happen, so I hope that you help me with this request.”_

The preteen glanced to the side, _“Though to be fair, I’m not sure if that is entirely possible.”_

Bill blinked, before going into deep thought, “You know…you actually raise a good point that so many of us completely overlook in our lives. I must admit, that humans can be really selfish. We only think about our needs and wishes, not about those who help us get to where we want to be. It really reflects badly on us as a species, but you, Ash, are the exception to the rule. You do not want money, instead you crave something even more precious than monetary value. If that isn’t a reason for me to help you with your request, I will throw myself off the top of the lighthouse.”

Now it was Ash’s turn to blink, partly from the sudden shift into something slightly morbid, but more on what Bill was implying.

_“How do you intend to help me?”_

Bill gave an expecting grin, “Do you know… _exactly_ , who I am? Beyond a researcher?”

Ash pursed his lips. Try as he might, he couldn’t come up with a connection, _“I’m sorry, I don’t have any idea.”_

“I’ll give you a hint,” Bill now had a teasing look, “What do you know about Silph Co.?”

_“That they are the leading organisation in Pokéball and technological development, rivalling that of Hoenn’s Devon Corporation.”_

“Correct, and who is the president of Silph Co.?”

_“Robert…”_ Ash’s eyes widened, _“…Montgomery.”_

His hands were frozen for a moment, before he managed to sign, _“Bill…are you by any chance related to President Montgomery?”_

“Ding ding! You got it right in the nail!” Bill replied jubilantly, “I’m actually his first-born son. But enough about familial relationships, here’s what I can help you with. As you might know, Ace Trainers are allowed a maximum roster of fifteen Pokémon, and that is the highest number that is allowed by League laws. At Silph Co., we are legally allowed to raise an individual’s total roster based on recommendations from the League itself or established professionals, such as myself really. In one click of a button, I can have your roster increased in mere seconds.”

Ash was stunned, as were his team and Rotom. He signed, _“For real? Like, you are not pulling my leg?”_

Bill smirked, “Do you have a Pokédex?”

Ash pointed to Rotom.

“Ah yes, Rotom Dex. I heard about you from Professor Oak. Really goes to show how far we come in putting Pokémon and technology together, haven’t we? If you could follow me to this computer here.”

Ash watched silently as his companion followed Bill to an unremarkable monitor. The researcher connected Rotom to the system, booted it up, and began pressing keys.

The changes came quickly.

Rotom seemed to seize up, before speaking, “System updating…updating…completed! Trainer Ash Ketchum’s maximum roster has been increased from six to fifteen, courtesy of Bill Montgomery in return for providing valuable data as a private research associate to Silph Co.. ”

Ash’s mouth fell open.

Bill disconnected Rotom from the system, “And that’s done!”

Rotom hovered about shakily for a moment, “That was truly an unusual experience!”

Ash shakily signed, _“Bill…I…don’t know what to say, other than thank you.”_

Bill held up a hand, “No thanks needed. You have done me a great service tonight. So great, I am almost afraid to ask another favour from you.”

Ash raised an eyebrow, _“What is it?”_

“Will it be okay for me to take a sample of Astrid’s saliva?”

_“For what, exactly?”_

“Shiny Pokémon are not the only branch of research I specialise in,” Bill explained, “By any chance, have you heard about the Legend of the Seven Monarchs?”

_“No…I can’t say that I have,”_ Ash signed back. Even Rotom displayed its cluelessness on-screen through an emoji.

“I’ll give you both a brief run-through,” Bill slipped into lecture mode, “Many, many millennia ago, the landmass that is now currently the Kanto and Johto regions were jointly ruled by seven draconic monarchs. They were what we call a Charizard, Dragonite, Kingdra, Altaria, Salamence, Garchomp, and Druddigon.”

The researcher began pacing around the room, “They harboured not the immense, infinite power of Legendary Pokémon. But compared to most regular Pokémon that roam the world, their power is unmatched. Some might even say that they are the equivalent of what we call _Mythical_ Pokémon today. Not as powerful as Legendaries, but essentially demigods.”

Ash nodded, prompting Bill to continue, “As the legend continues, a great darkness invaded the world. This taint, this abomination, dare I say this _eldritch_ monstrosity tried to swallow the world for its own sick, twisted gain. Despite the combined power of the Legendaries, it was not enough to stop this abomination. It was only when the seven monarchs volunteered their assistance did things begin to turn around for the world. Mind you, half of the Legendaries were too proud to accept help from what they deemed to be inferior beings. But with the world and their very existences at stake, Arceus overruled the doubters and recruited the monarchs to their side.”

Ash would have to admit that he was really into this story, as Bill continued, “A vicious battle was fought. A good portion of the landmass was decimated. Eventually, the abomination was vanquished, but not without the monarchs suffering losses of their own.”

_“What happened?”_

“In the chaos of the battle, one was lost to the Distortion World, their fate unknown. Three were weakened so terribly they decided to return their bodies to the world. One delivered himself to the magma of the volcano we now call Mt. Moon here in Kanto. Yes, Mt. Moon was once an active volcano,” Bill said, seeing Ash’s surprise, “but it went extinct about five thousand years ago when the fabled asteroid came, struck into the mountain, and vaporised its entire magma chamber in one go, but I digress. The second let the waves of the ocean consume her. The third, incidentally the Charizard, let his dying fire consume him whole, and his ashes rained down over an expanse of land, what we know today as Charicific Valley.”

_“Isn’t that the place where dozens of Charizard go to train and become stronger?”_

“You’re absolutely correct, Ash,” Bill beamed, “Yes, it is indeed a place where Charizard make their pilgrimage to train and become stronger. Although a few have decided to make the valley their permanent home, as I have discovered. When your Charmander evolves, Ash, you should bring him to Charicific Valley. The constant flow of magma from the volcanoes, the searing temperatures, and the belief that the fallen monarch’s power literally pulsates through the valley, it would do Chase a whole world of good to spend some time there and become a powerhouse on his own right.”

Ash nodded, as Bill continued the story, “The fifth monarch sacrificed her life in an act of bravery to protect the seventh, and the sixth died peacefully as he chased the abomination out of the planet into the cold reaches of outer space. Only one, the seventh monarch, who the legend calls Rex Dragonite, survived the battle.”

Bill’s eyes took on a faraway look, “For the past five years, I have searched long and far for Rex Dragonite. When I rebuilt the lighthouse, I had hoped that he would answer my call and reveal himself to a world that has changed dramatically since that fateful battle.”

Ash’s eyebrows furrowed. He signed, _“But what if Rex Dragonite doesn’t want to be disturbed? I, for one, wouldn’t appreciate it if someone kept disturbing my rest and daily existence.”_

“One can always hope, can they?” Bill replied rhetorically.

While Ash could at least understand that perspective, he still wasn’t entirely sure if what Bill’s activities were a good idea.

A loud beeping noise interrupted his thought process.

Bill gasped, and rushed towards one of the machines dotted around the room. Out of curiosity, Ash and Rotom followed suit.

“Researcher Bill, what’s up with this machine?”

Bill looked almost giddy with excitement, “This machine measures the electromagnetic energy levels in the atmosphere within the surrounding area and several kilometres out to sea. If there is a spike, it immediately picks it up and informs me of what could possibly be causing the increase in energy. I have a theory, that since Rex Dragonite is so powerful, his mere presence is enough to send a massive disruption to the otherwise stable electromagnetic field around us. And this…” he gestured to the wildly spiking p-waves on the monitor, “is just astronomical. Never have I ever recorded such a huge distortion in energy. Which can only mean one thing…”

In the distance, a loud, echoing roar shook the world. The lighthouse trembled ever so slightly.

“He’s coming. Rex Dragonite. He’s on his way.”

“You can’t be serious!” Rotom was both excited and frantic.

“I am deadly serious,” Bill replied, “This is a once in a lifetime opportunity to witness something completely out of our leagues. Ash, bring your Pokémon out too. They should get a chance to see this spectacle as well.”

Without waiting for a reply, Bill rushed up a winding flight of stairs to the second floor, and towards a set of doors that led out to a balcony. Ash, his team and Rotom followed suit. Outside, the sky seemed unusually overcast. When he first arrived at the lighthouse, Ash noticed that the waves crashing against the rocky coast were calm. Now, though, the sea was crashing against the rocks below with far more aggression than what could be deemed safe. The wind blew harsh, whipping Ash’s hair back and sending his scarf fluttering hard against his neck. Unused to such ominous weather, Chase sought shelter from Astrid. The long Dratini wrapped her serpentine body around the Charmander, protecting him from the worst of the winds.

Another roar shook the world, this time much louder since they were out in the open.

Ash tugged on Bill’s sleeve, and signed, _“Are you sure this is a good idea? What if Rex Dragonite attacks the lighthouse?”_

“I will admit, there is always the possibility,” the researcher replied, looking distracted as he stared back out into the rough sea, “but there is also a possibility for great hope, isn’t there?”

‘I just hope that we don’t get killed for this…’ Ash thought to himself.

A third roar, and the very air seemed to shift drastically.

“There he is…” Bill looked almost manic, “Here he is!”

Out from the darkness, a towering shape emerged. Ash felt his mouth go dry. It was easily as tall as both the lighthouse and the precipice it was perched on, perhaps even taller. Rex Dragonite’s wings easily spanned more than fifty feet in length, but unlike the more draconic, bat-like wings a regular Dragonite has, the seventh monarch had wings that resembled more of an angel. Across his head, the monarch had markings that looked like a tattooed diadem, which Ash thought was extremely fitting. Rex Dragonite’s arms were corded with thick muscle, and his body was more…shapely than the globular shape a more typical specimen would sport.

Ash unconsciously took a step back, while Bill rushed to the railing, “Rex Dragonite…Garunarth!”

The preteen flinched. If there was one thing he learnt from all the fantasy books and novels that he has read in his short life, was that one must never, _ever_ , call a monarch by their name, as if they are nothing more than a friend to one.

Rex Dragonite spun on Bill. Before, his eyes were neutrally-cold, now they burned with affronted offense, **“You dare…you worthless, arrogant human. You dare call me by my name?!”**

The researcher realised that he had made a grave mistake. He fell to his knees, “Your majesty, Rex Dragonite, I mean no insult! I have sought after you for so long, and I only wish to grace my eyes upon your mighty presence-”

Whatever Bill was rambling, the Rex paid no further attention. His fiery eyes were on Ash, who took another step back from the heated look. Chase tried to hide himself in Astrid’s coils, while the Dratini and Airavata tried to stay strong in the face of an opponent they have no hope of defeating.

The last living monarch’s eyes shifted from Ash to Astrid, then back to the preteen.

**“You, boy, are not like this foolish wretch,”** the Dragonite’s booming voice seemed to reverberate in Ash’s head, as well as his team, **“My descending blood has tied her loyalty to you. This alone saves you, and by extension, this miscreant who dare call me by my true name, as if I am nothing but an object to be gawked at. Your purpose is noble, one which will be rewarded. But be warned, boy, become like this man next to you, and I won’t be so merciful next time.”**

Before anyone could react, Rex Dragonite roared. An orb of golden light coalesced inside his maw, grew in size, before shooting out in a beam straight towards Ash. When it hit, the preteen’s body was engulfed in the golden light, which then split into three separate beams that shot each of his team members. The light would last for exactly ten seconds. In that time, Ash felt something change within him. There was no pain, but it was such a surreal experience that he fell to his knees, writhing uncontrollably.

Then, as a final show of power, Rex Dragonite flapped his wings so hard that a great rush of wind as strong as a hurricane slammed into the lighthouse. The outer wall surrounding the tower fell to pieces, the buttresses unable to sustain the power of the wind. Ash, his team, Rotom and Bill were thrown back into the lighthouse, which miraculously, remained standing despite the pummelling that it took from the last monarch.

Still reeling from the sudden beam of light and being thrown like a ragdoll, Ash remained on the floor amidst bits of broken glass. Bill, completely shaken by the whole ordeal, slowly picked himself up.

“Is this…what happens when I overstep boundaries?”

Despite still being unable to move, Ash gave the researcher an incredulous look. Shouldn’t someone as smart as Bill know that by now?

Taking a shuddering breath, Bill turned to Ash, “Do you need help getting up?”

Ash nodded.

The older man grabbed the preteen’s hand and gently lifted him up to his feet. Then, Bill noticed something.

“Ash…your eyes…”

The preteen raised an eyebrow, _“What do you mean?”_

Rotom came over, “Your eyes, Ash! They look different!”

_“I don’t understand.”_

Rotom quickly turned on its camera function, and switched into selfie format, “See for yourself, Ash!”

Ash took a look at his reflected image. His breath caught in his throat.

‘What…the fuck?’

* * *

**To Be Continued.**

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So a quick note before getting to the closing statements.
> 
> The entire fiasco with Rex Dragonite and the Seven Monarchs were inspired from a chapter of a Pokémon fanfic called 'Legend', written by The BlackStaff and NightMarE over on FF.net.
> 
> I figured that something monumental should happen to Ash, especially after reading some of your comments. If he doesn't have Aura, he should have at least something that gives him a boost in his journey. And since we're on the topic of Dragon-types, I thought, why not have a Dragon-type Pokémon gift him an ability that would be immensely helpful in the future, especially given how dark this story is about to become in the next few chapters. I won't spoil what that ability is, but it will be revealed in the next chapter.
> 
> That's all from me for now. The standard protocol applies - your honest feedback and kudos are greatly appreciated, while any flaming of any sort will not be tolerated.
> 
> Take care.
> 
> \- SilentGhostWriter2017

**Author's Note:**

> So I'm going to start with a bit of nostalgia.
> 
> Obviously, I got into Pokémon because of the anime and games. However, if I have to choose my favourite character in the entire Pokémon universe, it would have to be Red. 
> 
> I was introduced to Red in the Pokémon Adventures manga. Now that Red is far different from the silent Red that we are probably familiar with. But still, it was Red's adventures that really kicked my involvement with Pokémon into high gear. Also because I think silent Red is very cool.
> 
> And since Ash Ketchum is based on Red, I'd figured, what if Ash was mute just like his game counterpart? And while Mute!Ash is not a novel concept in the Pokémon fandom, I thought maybe I can give it a try. 
> 
> Also, I am a sucker for Fangshipping, a.k.a Ash x Raihan, so I thought, why not make Ash a trainer that specialises in Dragon-type Pokémon? Not only will it give Ash and Raihan a reason to meet and connect, but I also read somewhere in the Pokémon lore that Dragon-types are notoriously hard to tame, let alone train. I want Ash to become a powerful trainer, but not make him too OP from the beginning. I want to give Ash a challenge.
> 
> On that same note, I'm unsure of whether to make Ash an Aura-adept too. I've already done so in my other Pokémon fanfic, 'Way of the Aura', and I don't know if having Ash use Aura will have much significance here. What do you think? I'm opening this up to the community. Share your thoughts in the comment section, I would love to hear what you have to say.
> 
> That is all from me at the moment. As usual, your honest feedback and kudos are greatly appreciated, while flaming of any sort will not be tolerated.
> 
> Take care, everyone.
> 
> \- SilentGhostWriter2017


End file.
